Returning Home
by Blue September Rain
Summary: COMPLETE Legolas is left to return home alone after an accident in Mirkwood. What awaits him in Mirkwood, and who is that off in the the distance? NO SLASH
1. Chapter 1: In the Middle of the Forest

Returning Home  
  
Chapter 1: In the Middle of the Forest By: Banana Nut Muffin  
  
Yeah, yeah, I don't own anything that has to do with LOTR. I wish I did, but I don't!  
  
I got a good idea from another story I read since I don't know elfish, and am too lazy to look it up on the Internet. Stuff spoken in elfish will be in italics.  
  
And another thing, I KNOW I CHANGED IT. I turned on my most awesome Authoress Powers to change it HOW EVER I WANT MUAHAHA! The story line that is. Heh heh heh.  
  
Here's the setting. This is post-war, with Gimli and Legolas traveling together. It's approximately 10 years after the war. Woot! Haha! I love that word. Anyway, read!!!  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Gimli and Legolas walked side by side through the Fangorn forest. The trees whispered to each other, commenting on the weather, and other such interesting topics that only trees would find interesting. The sky darkened above the trees, and Gimli looked up at his friend. "We should stop for the night. We have plenty of time to travel in the morning." He said. Legolas nodded and looked around.  
  
"There's a clearing just a little ways that way. We should sleep there." Legolas said, squinting his elf eyes. The blond haired, blue eyed elf turned south and walked through the trees. Gimli tried to follow, but his axe was stuck in come vines that were hanging from a tree.  
  
"Blasted trees! Arg!" he shouted, struggling to be free. Legolas turned when he heard his friend.  
  
"What's wrong Gimli?" he asked, then saw his predicament. Legolas laughed. He walked to the vines and gently pulled them away from Gimli. After he was freed, Gimli glared at the vines, figuring the trees were messing around with him. Then the two friends continued on to the clearing. It was almost a complete circle, with trees lining the entire outside of it. There was a thick layer of brown leaves on the ground, almost like a carpet. A little stream of the setting sun broke through a crack in the trees. When they reached there, they set down their packs and proceeded to find firewood. As they looked, there was a rustling in some nearby trees. Legolas heard it first, and looking around. Then, a strange smell filled the air surrounding them. Legolas squinted his eyes again and looked around. Gimli had stopped searching the ground for wood, and was watching his friend.  
  
All was quiet. Nothing moved. Not even the leaves in the trees. Then, a twig snapped. Legolas quickly whipped out an arrow, fitted it into his bow, and fired through the trees. A loud roar filled the air, and a thump. Legolas walked closer to see what he had hit, when thirty Orcs burst through the trees, knocking Legolas to the ground. They grunted and surrounded the clearing. The leader picked up Legolas by the collar of his tunic and stood him on his feet. "You killed one of my best soldiers." He said, his rancid breath blowing in Legolas's face. He closed his eyes and scrunched up his nose to stop the smell with no avail. Before they could say anything else, Gimli pulled out his axe and started hacking away at the orcs. He killed the one that was holding Legolas, and they both started to fight off the orcs. After a few minutes, Legolas heard a cry. He turned and saw his friend, his axe at his side, and he was on his knees. Stuck in his back was a thick, black orc arrow. In the blink of an eye, two more were fired. One was in his chest, and the other next to the other arrow in his back. Blood seeped out of the wounds. Legolas stared in disbelief. Rage filled the young elf, and he started firing at all the orcs, determined to kill them all. It took a while, since he had to keep collecting arrows, but he eventually killed them all. The air stank of orc blood. Legolas ran to his friend, who was still on his knees. His eyes were wide in terror.  
  
"Gimli, my friend, are you alright?" He asked, fear filling his voice. Gimli cough, and drops of blood rolled down his red beard.  
  
"I'm just fine." He said, coughing again. Legolas looked at his friend, a thought entering his head. Gimli would not survive the night. Legolas snapped back to reality when Gimli launched into another coughing fit. Then, Gimli reached up and pulled the arrow out of his chest and dropped it on the ground. He looked down at his wound. "Perhaps I'm not as fine as I think I am." He said quietly. "Do an old dwarf a favor. Could you take those bloody arrows out of my back?" he asked. Legolas nodded sadly and gently pulled out the arrows.  
  
"Do you want me to get some herbs to put on the wounds?" Legolas asked. Gimli shook his head. Gimli knew what was going on, and why his vision was starting to darken.  
  
"It would be a waste of time, master elf. I will not live much longer. Shadow calls me, and I must answer." He said, laying on the ground.  
  
"No, Gimli, you could fight it! You could live!" Legolas said, trying to keep his eyes from closing. Gimli shook his head. Legolas gathered the elf in his arms and looked down at him.  
  
"It's my time, Legolas. I have but one request. Take the hair that was given to me by Galadriel, and go to the Lonely Mountain. Mention my name, and they will take you to my family. Give them the hair, and tell them to pass it down through the generations. Tell them the story." He said. He coughed more, and his eyes closed. His breathing became slow and ragged. "Good bye, my friend."  
  
"Gimli, good bye." Legolas said quietly. The dwarf's body became limp, and his breathing stopped. Tears fell down the pale face of the elf. He set the body down on the ground and stood. He wasn't going to bury him here. There was too much death, and too many orcs. As Legolas stood in the middle of the clearing, there was a loud crunch. Then another, then another. Legolas looked up, and saw a familiar tree. Not a tree, an Ent. He broke into the clearing and looked down at Legolas.  
  
"Harumm. I heard.. commotion. so barrummm I thought I'd come see what. it was." he said slowly. (HAHA! I love my version of an Ent speaking common tongue!!)  
  
"Ocrs attacked us, my friend Gimli and I." Legolas said. Treebread looked down at the elf.  
  
"Harrummm I know. who you are. Master Elf. friend of the little barrummm hobbits." Leoglas nodded. "Barumm. tell me. about this little. harummm battle here."  
  
"We stopped here for the night, and as we were looking for firewood, we heard something. It turned out to be a small army of thirty orcs. My friend, Gimli, was shot with three orc arrows. He's dead." He said the last part, his voice choaked up, and a few more tears fell down his cheeks.  
  
"I see." Treebeard said. "Harummm if you wish. I could take you and your friend. barumm to a place in the center of the forest. a most beautiful part.. where you could bury him. harumm. It has not been touched my death.." He said slowly. Legolas turned and looked down at Gimli's body. He would not be able to take him to the Lonely Mountain. It was too far. He looked back at Treebeard.  
  
"I would be most grateful.." Legolas said. Treebeard nodded and reached down.  
  
"Barumm climb on Master Elf." Legolas climbed up his arm and sat down on his shoulder. Then, Treebeard picked up Gimli. He started off through the forest, dodging trees. Legolas looked ahead, remembering the times that he had had with Gimli in their travels. Before long, Treebeard spoke.  
  
"Here we are Master Elf.. baruummm.." He said. Legolas blinked and looked around. The place was beautiful. There were flowers everywhere. The sunlight shone through the trees, and the place seemed to sparkle. The trees swayed in the light breeze, and sang songs about the happy times of the forest. The sheer beauty of the place make Legolas's eyes water. Treebeard set down Gimli and Legolas climbed down. Gently, Treebeard dug a quick hole in the ground. "You may put him in there." He said. Legolas picked up his friend, and placed him in the hole.  
  
"Good bye my friend. I will come visit you again sometime." Legolas said. Then he remembered something. He reached down and took the hair from Gimli. Then, he pushed the dirt into the hole. As he did so, Treebeard looked up at the sky.  
  
"Baarrruummm I have to go Master Elf, but when you are .. Finished here. haruum.. come south of here, and you will. arrive at Entwood, my home. You will rest there." He said, then walked off. Legolas nodded and went back to covering Gimli with the dirt. When he was finished, he found a broad piece of wood and he started a small fire. He pulled out his small knife, and heated the tip. He took the piece of wood and engraved "Gimli, son of Gloín" into the wood. Then, he attached it to another piece of wood, and stuck it in the ground by Gimli's grave. Sadly, Legolas took one last look at the grave, as tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to. He turned and started south down a path heading to Entwood.  
  
When he arrived there, it was empty. Treebeard hadn't returned yet. He took the time to admire his home. Everything was Ent-Sized. There was only a large bed made of stone with many leaves on it, and there was a giant table. Next to the bed was a waterfall. The water didn't look like it was supposed to. It was really clear and it sparkled as if there were diamonds in it. As he was admiring the water, he heard Treebeard come into the clearing.  
  
"How are you. barrummm Master Elf?" He asked Legolas.  
  
"I'm fine." he said quietly. Treebeard nodded.  
  
"Baarrummm come now Master Elf. Have a drink of Entdraut (spelling??). It will refresh you." He said, filling a large bowl with the clear water. He lifted Legolas onto the table and set the bowl down. Legolas walked over to it and took a drink. Almost immediately, he felt a sudden warmth flow through his body, and he almost felt. green and full of life, but his sadness was still present. Although he had been in many wars, his elf mind was still not used to the act of death. "Harrumm. tell me Master Elf. how long do you plan to stay.?" Treebeard asked. Legolas looked at him.  
  
"Although I would like to stay longer, I have many things to do. This drink has refreshed me, and I would like to move on, and do what needs to be done. I will return someday to visit my friend's grave. Thank you for your hospitality, and I hope you not think it rude of me to leave so soon." Legolas said in an apologetic voice. Treebeard smiled.  
  
"Harumm not rude at all Master Elf. Go. I will watch over the Master Dwarf's grave while you are away. baruum." Legolas thanked him a thousand times over, and was soon on his way out of the forest. As he walked, he closed his eyes and pictures a map of Middle Earth that he had studied as a child. To the west was the Shire, but that involved going over mountains, or around, but that would take longer. Minis Tirith was to the south, near Morder. Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain were to the North-East. He decided on going home first. He knew that Galadriel had already gone across the ocean. He would have to walk unless he could get a horse from somewhere else.  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
End of Chapter 1.  
  
Sorry about killing Gimli, but the story. and the plot line. ahh!!! Hehe. The way I had planned it, Legolas was going to go to the Lonely Mountain first, or Minis Tirith, but when I looked at a map, I realized that they were all over the place. Hehe. Yup.  
  
bTw, I like reviews. HINT HINT! Hahah! But I'm going to keep writing the story, so blahh. hehe.  
  
Peace Out~  
  
Banana Nut Muffin 


	2. Chpater 2: A Glimpse of Mirkwood

Returning Home 

Chapter 2: A glimpse of Mirkwood

By: Banana Nut Muffin

I don't own LOTR or anything like that… blah blah blah, you've heard it before.

Like before, some stuff that is meant to be in elfish will be in italics. Or, some elfish that I DO know will be in italics as well. The only ones I really know are "Ada" which means father, "mellon" which is friend, or "mellon-nin" which is like, My Friend, or something. Yuppers!

~~*~~*~~

Two months. Two months of traveling. Even for an elf, two months straight of traveling can make one weary and tired. Two months, and Legolas finally saw Mirkwood on the horizon. Summoning the energy he had, he ran, wanting to get home as quickly as he could. When he reached the edge of the forest, he slowed to a walk. The trees were so familiar to him. He walked through the trees and took a deep breath. He was so happy to be back in his home, despite the recent death of his best friend. 

He walked for about another hour, and he finally reached a tall golden gate. He walked up to it, and saw three guards standing at the gates. The guards saw a figure coming up to the gate. "Who it that?" The blond one asked. 

"I have no idea…" The dark-haired one answered. The brown-haired elf squinted his eyes. 

"By Valar! It's Prince Legolas!" He cried. He started running to the Prince. The others followed him. 

Legolas heard people running. He looked up and saw three Mirkwood guards running at him. A brown-haired one shouted, "Prince Legolas! You have returned!" Legolas smiled. No one had forgotten him. 

"Thank Valar you are alive! Your father will be very happy to see you!" The blond one said. They reached Legolas. Legolas smiled, and then collapsed. 

One of the guards caught him before he hit the ground. He looked sympathetically down at the elf prince. "The poor boy must be exhausted. I'll take him to the palace." The blond elf took Leoglas in his arms and carried him through the Golden Gate. As the blond elf walked through the cobble stone streets of Mirkwood, Elves stopped and watched. The blond elf heard elves whispering things like "Is that the Prince?" "Is that Legolas?" He smiled and proudly walked to the palace of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood. 

~~*~~*~~

Thranduil sat in his throne room. His long dark hair was braided, and his dark eyes were fogged over, like he was remembering something. Beside him, a younger elf was sitting a chair much like Thranduil's. He had shoulder length blond hair and green eyes. His hair was also braided. He had a book open in his lap, his elbows resting on the arm rest, his chin in his hand. As they sat in silence, the door to the throne room burst open. "Your Highness!" An elf guard cried. Thranduil blinked and looked up. The elf next to him lifted his head. 

"What is it?" He asked. 

"Legolas has come home!" He cried. Thranduil jumped up from his chair. The elf next to him did as well. 

"Where is he?" Thranduil asked. 

"They have taken him to his room. He collapsed as he was walking to the gate. The Healer is already on his way." He said. Thranduil ran out of the throne room, his long cloak traveling behind him. The younger elf followed his father down the hallways and into a large door, one that hadn't been opened for about two years. Only now, it was open, and there was talking inside. Thranduil walked in, and everyone was quiet. 

"M'lord." An older elf said, bowing low. This was the Healer of Mirkwood. He was standing over Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. 

"Is he alright?" Thranduil asked, motioning to his son. 

"He will be just fine, M'lord. He is just exhausted from traveling." He said. Thranduil thanked him, and the Healer left. So did all the guards. Thranduil, and his youngest son, E'thane, were left in the room. 

Thranduil looked upon his son. He had not changed very much from the last time he saw him. His face had dirt on it, for he had not been cleaned up after brought to his room. His clothes were also dirty, and torn in some spots. But he still looked the same. 

E'thane shifted his eyes from his elder brother, to a pile of things in the corner. There was a bow, a quiver, dagger, and several bags, along with a cloak. E'thane picked up the bow and ran his hand over the fine engravings. "Father…" he said quietly. Thranduil looked up. 

"What is it my son?" He asked. 

"Look at what Legolas brought home. This is a bow of the Galadrium." He said, lifting the bow up and showing his father. 

"They must have been to Lothlórien." Thranduil said. E'thane nodded. He set the bow down gently and returned to his brother's side. 

~~*~~*~~

Three days passed since Legolas returned to Mirkwood. Every day, Thranduil and E'thane would go to Legolas's room and sit with him, and then they would have to leave to continue with their duties or other such activities. 

On the morning of the fourth day, the sun rose through the trees and bright streams of sunlight filled Legolas's rooms. The sun's rays touched his eyes, and slowly, he opened them. He sat up with a start, but quickly recognized his room. He was home, in the palace. He looked around the room. It looked as it had the day he left Mirkwood to attend the council in Rivendell. His bed stood against the wall, with a window across from it, and another window to the right of the bed. His wardrobe stood left of the window across from him, and beside there was a large bookshelf. There was also a chair, stuffed with feathers and covered in bright green velvet. It was Legolas's favorite chair. He smiled, remembering all the time he had spent in here. 

Then reality hit him, and all the memories of the last two months came back to him. He suddenly felt tired again, and was about to go back to sleep when the door opened. He looked, and saw his little brother, E'thane, standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide. "Legolas? You're awake?" He asked. Legolas nodded. E'thane ran into the room and climbed up on the bed, wrapping his arms around his brother. 

"It's good to see you again E'thane." Legolas said. 

"Good to see you too." He replied, then sat back. "Did you know you've been asleep for three days?" He asked him. 

"No, I didn't know that."

"You slept for three straight days. Father was starting to get really worried. But now, he will be very happy that you are awake." E'thane said. Legolas smiled. Then they heard footsteps, and Thranduil's figure appeared in the doorway. 

"My son!" he cried, and rushed into the room. He pulled his son into a hug. "I've been so worried." He said. 

"I've missed you, _Ada_." Legolas said, and a tear rolled down his cheek. 

"What's wrong, my son?" Thranduil asked. Legolas looked down at his blanket. 

"Some many things have happened father." Legolas said quietly. 

"Will you tell us your story, brother?" E'thane asked. Legolas smiled sadly at him. 

"Not today, little brother. I have much that must be done." He turned to face Thranduil. "I must leave soon. I have to go to the Shire, Minis Tirith, and the Lonely Mountain." Legolas said. 

"Whatever for, my son?" He asked. 

"A member of the fellowship, Gimli son of Gloín has died in battle. I must inform them." 

"A dwarf?" Thranduil asked. Legolas nodded. 

"We were good friends. But we were ambushed by orcs and he was killed." Legolas explained. Thranduil sighed. 

"The Lonely Mountain is only north of here. That should be your first trip. Then you shall return home. Maybe after a few more days of rest, you will go to Minis Tirith. Then to the Shire after that." Thranduil said. Legolas nodded. 

"Yes father." he said. Thranduil smiled. 

"You best get some more sleep. Come E'thane." He said. Then the two of them left the room. 

~~*~~*~~

Yuppers, woot! Haha! Anywho, that's the end of Part 2. I advise you to read on, if you are still here. *crickets* hehe. whoopsy! Anyways, read on! 

*cough*reviews*cough*

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin


	3. Chpater 3: The Lonely Mountain

Returning Home

Chapter 3: The Lonely Mountain

By: Banana Nut Muffin

NOT MINE!

Elfish in _italics_.

You're smart people. You get it. 

~~*~~*~~

After two more days of resting, Thranduil approved of his son riding to The Lonely Mountain. Legolas was able to get a horse, and some food just incase it took him longer than he thought it might. He also remembered to take the hair of Galadriel. Finally, he was speeding through Mirkwood Forest on one of the fastest horses in Mirkwood. It would take him most of the day to get there. 

As he rode, the scenery passed by him in an emerald green blur. He wanted to stop and just admire the trees, but he wanted to get to the Lonely Mountain as quickly as he could.

At dusk, he finally reached the base of the mountain. He slowed his horse down, speaking quiet elfish to it. Then, he looked up and looked around. There wasn't much there. Then, he heard shouting. "Halt! Don't move!" He looked around, then he saw two dwarves holding rather large axes. They were standing in front of Legolas's horse. 

"Wait, please hear me out!" Legolas said. The dwarves gave him a funny look. 

"Why should we listen to an 'elf'." The first dwarf asked, saying the last word as if it was a curse. 

"Because I was a friend of one of your kin." He said, keeping his voice calm. 

"Who?" They asked. 

"Gimli, son of Gloín." He answered them. 

"Gimli? What would Gimli have to do with an elf? He hates them! Besides, he isn't here. He went to Rivendell for a council, but he never returned." Legolas looked down sadly. 

"And he shall never return, I'm afraid." He said. The guards exchanged glances. "He died in battle not two and a half months ago." he said. The guards' eyes widened. They took the reins of Legolas's horse. 

"Come with us." They said. They led Legolas through some trees, and they came to a stone door. One of the guards muttered something in dwarfish, and the door swung open. They led Legolas and the horse through a dark tunnel, and to another door. The same dwarf spoke something in dwarfish, and the door swung open once again. They came into a large room carved into the earth. There must have been over a thousand candles burning. When the door opened, it seemed as if all had their eyes on the elf that had just come into the Lonely Mountain. There was silence, save for the hooves of the horse, and the footsteps of the guards. They walked through the giant room, and came to another door. This time, they knocked. It opened, and an older female dwarf was standing at the entrance.

"Can I help you?" She asked. The guards nodded and motioned up to Legolas. 

"This elf knew your son. He has something to tell you." he said. The woman looked up at Legolas, her eyes suddenly turning cold. Legolas slid off his horse and bowed. The female dwarf looked at him. He wore the attire of a wealthy elf. 

"What do you know of my son?" she asked, her voice hard. Legolas bowed. 

"I was friends with Gimli, m'lady. He was one of the Fellowship of the Ring, the ones set out from Rivendell to aid in the destruction of the One Ring. My name is Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, the King of Mirkwood. I have come to tell you news of your son's fate." He said. Her eyes softened a little. 

"What happened?" She asked. 

"We were traveling together in Fangorn Forest, and we were ambushed by a rouge group of orcs. Gimli was shot three times with orc arrows. He did not live. He is now buried in the center of Fangorn forest, and his grave is being watched over by Treebeard, an Ent of the forest. Your son died an honorable death." Legolas explained to her. Soon, the dwarf had tears in her eyes. All hardness she expressed before was gone. She took Legolas's hand and led her into her home. Legolas ducked his head from being hit on the doorframe. She had him sit down in a chair. Then, she left the room, and soon, several smaller dwarves came into the room. They all were crying. She must have told them. 

"Sir Legolas, my name is Delita, Gimli's mother, as you know, and these are his brothers and sisters. He was the oldest. We all wish to thank you for bringing this news to us, for now we can stop worrying." She said. Legolas nodded, and pulled out something from his side pouch. He pulled out a small object. It was the three hairs that Galadriel had given Gimli, enclosed in maple sap. 

"I bring this to you as a last request of Gimli. These are three hairs from the head of Galadriel or Lothlórien. He is very proud of them and he wanted them to be passed down through his family as an object of beauty." Legolas showed Gimli's family the maple sap that held the three hairs of Galadriel. Delita took it and handed it to a dwarf that looked to be older than the others. She told him that it was his and that he would pass it down as he chose.

Then, the entire family thanked him, their eyes still wet. Tears still threatened to spill over Legolas's eyes too, but he held his composure. Finally, he was able to leave. He felt a little better, but he still missed his friend terribly. He didn't know how many times he would be able to relay the story. But he knew he had to do it. There were only two more stops. Minis Tirith, and the Shire. Aragorn, Sam, Merry and Pippin would want to know what has happened. Frodo and Gandolf were already on the other side of the sea. 

~~*~~*~~

After a little while of riding, Legolas no longer felt like riding. He got off his horse, and he closed his eyes, putting himself in a light state of sleep. 

He didn't wake until sun streamed through the leaves again. He opened his eyes and looked up. It was a new day. He decided he should get home before his father decided to send the entire Mirkwood army out after him. He figured that now Thranduil would became very protective of him. 'Great…' Thought Legolas. He climbed on his horse and headed back to the city. 

When he finally made it home, he was informed that Thranduil and E'thane were out hunting. So Legolas stole away to the library and found a book of maps. He started charting the quickest course to Minis Tirith. He would stay there for longer since not the entire city hated him, as it was in The Lonely Mountain. He found a path that would take him to Minis Tirith without much trouble. The only problem was was that it was about 675 miles from where he was. 

He sighed. He was almost tired of traveling. He really wanted to just stay in Mirkwood and not leave. But he knew that was impossible. He needed to tell his friends about what happened. As he was in the library, his father arrived back at the palace along with E'thane. E'thane found him in the library. "What's the matter Legolas?" he asked. Legolas sighed again. 

"It's 675 miles to Minis Tirith from here. I wish to see Aragorn, but I am tired of traveling." Legolas said. E'thane sat down beside his brother. 

"Then stay here. Even the greatest elf needs time to rest and to heal. Though you do not show it, big brother, inside, you really are weak, tired, and hurt. I suggest you try to relax here for a while. Being home will be good for you. Besides, we all missed you so much, we couldn't bare it if you were gone to close to another year!" He exclaimed. Legolas smiled at his little brother. 

"Thank you E'thane. Perhaps I will stay here."

~~*~~*~~

End of Part 3

I know these are short but that's ok. Review Review Review! Wow… that's really redundant. Oh well. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin


	4. Chpater 4: Friends and News

Returning Home

Chapter 4: Friends and News

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Don't own it, blah, blah, blah…

Italics… blah blah blah, you get it!

~~*~~*~~

****

**_The Day Legolas Returned from The Lonely Mountain_**

****

Thranduil sat in his throne room, with an elf about his age standing beside him. This elf was his best friend, Polassar. 

"Are you sure he's ready?" Polassar asked. Thranduil nodded. 

"I'm sure of it. That trip changed him a lot, and he's more mature now, and I believe he can do a good job. Besides, there is so much I haven't been able to do because I am always here. I want to get out some." Thranduil confided in his friend. Polassar nodded. 

"I'll be sure to contact those you have mentioned as soon as possible." Thranduil thanked him, and Polassar left the room.

****

**_4 Months After Legolas Returned to Mirkwood_**

****

Legolas lay sleeping in his bed. His blanket was pulled up over his head for the sun was annoying him. His back was to the wall with the window, with the heavy blanket shielding his eyes. He had finally fallen back asleep after pulling the blanket up over his eyes. Then, he was woken up again by the sound of the door opening. He figured it was Thranduil or E'thane coming to tell him it was time to get out of bed. When he heard nothing, he slowly pulled the blanket down, only to be attacked by two figures flying at him. 

"Legolas! It's been too long!" A cheerful voice said, as he felt small arms go around his neck. He opened his eyes back up and saw the familiar face of Pippin Took. Legolas smiled. 

"Pippin!" He cried, and then saw Merry standing beside the bed. "Merry!" Merry smiled, and then he too jumped up onto the bed and threw his arms around Legolas. 

Although he didn't want to have woken up that day, he was soon filled with joy and much energy. He had his little hobbit friends with him now. "So what are you two doing here?" Legolas asked them when they had calmed down some. 

"We decided that we had been away too long, so we thought we could come and visit you here!" Pippin said. 

"But we didn't come alone. Sam came with us, as well as Aragorn and Arwen." Merry told him. 

"Aragorn and Arwen?" Legolas asked. He climbed out of bed and the two hobbits followed suit. "Could I ask you two to leave for a few moments while I change?" He asked. They nodded and left the room. Legolas threw on a green tunic with brown pants. He fixed his hair and put in two braids on the sides. Then, he left his room. Merry and Pippin were waiting outside the room. Both of them grabbed his hands and pulled him down the hallway. They were headed in the direction of "The Great Room". The Great Room is the room where Thranduil entertains company when someone important comes to visit. It's a big, rectangular shaped room. It has many couches and chairs all over, and a grand fireplace on one wall. There are also several bookshelves. Tapestries and rugs decorate the cold stone room. 

They reached the door to The Great Room, and Legolas opened it. He smiled when he saw who was waiting there for him. Sitting on one couch was Aragorn and Arwen. On a chair near them was Sam, and beside Sam on another couch was E'thane and Thranduil. Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to the door. Sam, Aragorn, and Arwen all stood, and Legolas walked into the room. The joy he was feeling at the moment was too much for him to describe. He started to run, and he hugged Aragorn. The King of Gondor hugged him back. "It's good to see you again Legolas." He said. 

"It's good to see you too." Legolas replied. Then he hugged Arwen, and then Sam. "What are you all doing here?" He asked when the greetings had been exchanged. This time, Thranduil stood. 

"Legolas, my son, it has been decided that you will take over my responsibilities, and become King of Mirkwood." He said, and Legolas looked stunned. 

"W-what?" 

"Polassar and I both feel that you matured a lot during the long journey you were on. Therefore, we believe that you should now take up your right to the throne. We made sure that your friends were here to see it, otherwise, we would have done it sooner." Thranduil explained. 

"Isn't that great Legolas?" Pippin asked with excitement. Legolas looked down at him, and smiled a little. Then he looked up. 

"But father, I wouldn't have any idea what to do!" Legolas said. 

"That's why your father and I are here, Legolas. We're here to help you." Aragorn said with a smile. "Arwen and I will be here for a while anyway. I'm not sure about the Hobbits." He said, looking to them. They shrugged. 

"Pippin and I don't have any pressing matters, but as for Sam…" They said. Sam blushed. His wife was pregnant with their fourth child. 

"Yes, I uh, won't be able to stay very long." He said meekly. Legolas nodded. 

"Thank you all." He said. 

~~*~~*~~

Later, after they had eaten breakfast, Legolas brought all of his friends into the Great Room. They sat down. 

"I know this occasion shouldn't be clouded with grief, but I feel the need to tell you now." Legolas said. Pippin looked around. 

"Where's Gimli?" he asked. 

"That's what I want to talk about…" Legolas said. They all looked at him, waiting. "Gimli and I were traveling through Fangorn Forest, when we were ready to stop for the night. Then we heard something, and it ended up being a group of rogue orcs who must have escaped after Frodo destroyed the ring. There was about thirty of them, many of them with bows. Gimli was shot three times with the orc arrows, and he didn't survive. I met with Treebeard there, and he took me to the center of the forest, where death has never been, and allowed me to bury him there. He said he would watch over the grave of Gimli for me." Legolas said, tears threatening to spill. The others had tears in their eyes as well. 

"That's terrible." Aragorn said quietly. The friends sat in silence for a while. They all were reflecting, and praying for Gimli's safe passage into Shadow. 

~~*~~*~~

At the Golden Gate entrance into the city of Mirkwood, a procession of horses made their way to the gate. The elf guards squinted their eyes and saw who it was. They immediately opened the gate for them. 

~~*~~*~~

When the remaining Fellowship dried their tears and remembered the happy times, the door to the Great Room opened. E'thane was standing there. 

"Brother, we have some more visitors." He said. Legolas stood, and so did the others. They followed E'thane into the throne room. Thranduil was conversing with none other than… Elrond, and his twin sons, Elrohir and Elladan. When they entered, the four of them turned. Arwen ran to her father and brothers and hugged them. Aragorn bowed to Elrond, and hugged his adoptive brothers. Legolas also bowed to Elrond. When the hobbits were about to bow, Elrond gave them a look that made them stop. Then they remembered what Aragorn had told them at Minis Tirith. 'You bow to no one.' They smiled. 

Elrond walked to Legolas, his feet barely making a sound. "Legolas, you have been a like a son, for you have visited Rivendell many times. I felt honored to be invited to see you become king of Mirkwood." He said, enfolding the elf in a hug. Legolas smiled. 

"Thank you." 

~~*~~*~~  
  


They all talked for a while, and then Legolas requested permission to leave. So much had happened that day that he needed some time for it to all sink in. He left the throne room, retrieved his bow and arrows, took a horse, and started down a well-worn path through Mirkwood. He recalled all the events of the day. Slowly, he organized the events and allowed them to sink in. He was going to soon become the King of Mirkwood. What if he did something wrong? What if the elves of Mirkwood hated him? He had been gone for a while, so what if they lost loyalty to him? Questions swam in his head, and they remained unanswered. 

  
He rode his horse, admiring the beauty of the forest that he knew all too well. He really hoped that he would be able to travel and hunt and get out of the palace whenever he wanted. He didn't want to be confined. That was his one fear, confinement. Suddenly, his elf ear twitched… he heard something. A twig snapped. He looked around. He didn't see anything. The trees were too dense. Then, he heard running feet. They were not the footsteps of an elf, so what was it? He listened harder. Then, a vision flashed before his mind's eye. It was of the last battle of Gimli. "Orcs…" He whispered. He halted his horse and waited in silence. Then, he heard a thunderous noise. Hundreds of running feet. Then, he saw them though the trees. Their nasty faces focused forward. He watched them through the trees, but then, to his horror, one stopped. The orc's yellow eyes stared at him through a gap in the trees. 

"Hey! Wait!" He shouted to his companions. The orcs stopped, and turned to follow the first orc's gaze. All eyes were fixed on Legolas. 

~~*~~*~~

MUAHAHA! Cliff Hanger. Review!!!

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin       

****


	5. Chapter 5: Searching

Returning Home 

Chapter 5: Searching 

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Don't own… blah, blah, blah.

Italics… blah, blah, blah.

~~*~~*~~

Legolas stared in fear as the large group of orcs advanced towards him. How could so many of them survive after Sauron was destroyed? He figured that since he was destroyed, that all of his creations would be as well, but he supposed it didn't happen that way. Before there was anything that the elf-prince could do, the orcs surrounded him. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The leader asked. All the orcs laughed. 

"Well little 'elf'! What are you doing here?" The one beside the leader asked. Legolas took a deep breath. 

"My name is Legolas Greenleaf! I am the prince of Mirkwood!" he told the orcs. He knew they could easily kill him. There must be a way to stall them… 

~~*~~*~~

"Come on Merry! Let's get Thranduil!" Pippin said quietly, and they rushed out of the forest as quickly as their little legs could take them. 

~~*~~*~~

"Get off your horse." The leader commanded. Legolas did so, hoping they wouldn't kill him. As soon as he was off, one of the orcs shot the horse. It squealed and fell over. Legolas gasped in horror. Then from behind, two orcs grabbed him, and another took his bow and arrows. 

"A fine bow." The orc who stole his weapons said, examining the bow. The leader turned to face Legolas and smiled. 

"What other secrets do you have little elf?" he asked. Legolas stayed silent. Big mistake. The orc got angry at his silence, and backhanded him, leaving several small cuts across his cheek. "Speak!"

"I have nothing else…" He whispered. The orc scoffed. 

"Liar! You are a prince! You have more than that!" he shouted, bringing his face close to Legolas's. His breath was rancid. Before Legolas's eyes, he saw the battle in Fangorn again. He didn't want to see it again.

~~*~~*~~

Merry and Pippin rushed into the throne room of the palace. Elrond and Thranduil were sitting in some chairs talking. When they heard the commotion, they looked up, and saw the two little hobbits running. They both stood. 

"What is it Merry?" Elrond asked. 

"Legolas! He's in trouble!" Merry panted.

"There are orcs in the forest!" Pippin added. Thranduil blinked, and, his mind clouded with fear, he called for some of the elven army to be gathered. He couldn't bare to lose his son now. Along with Aragorn and Elrond, Thranduil left the palace with some archers of the army, they marched through the forest. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas was on the ground, breathing heavily. Blood was trickling down his face. The group of orcs was standing tightly around him. They were shouting at him. Then, one of the orcs near the back sniffed the air. He turned, and gasped. A slender arrow was stuck in his chest. He fell. Some others near him turned as well, and saw the archers marching through the forest. 

"ELVES!" They shouted, and started to run. 

"Go now!" Thranduil shouted, and the elves rushed forward and started firing the arrows. "Legolas!" he shouted, searching frantically for his son. Aragorn hacked away at an orc, and saw the heap of blond hair and fair skin. 

"Legolas!" He shouted. Legolas lifted his head and saw Aragorn running to him. 

"Aragorn…" he whispered. Aragorn stood him up, and helped him run away from the battle. 

"Thranduil! Here is Legolas!" he shouted. Thranduil looked up. 

"My son!" he cried. He jumped off his horse and pulled his son into his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked. 

"Yes, _Ada_." He said quietly, and he turned his face to watch the orcs being destroyed. 

~~*~~*~~

E'thane stood on the steps of the palace, awaiting the return of his father and his brother. Merry, Pippin, and Sam were sitting on the steps, talking quietly. E'thane felt a slender hand rest on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Arwen standing beside him. "Lady Arwen, I'm worried…" He confessed. She smiled. 

"I know E'thane. But do not worry. I know your brother well, and he is strong. Nothing will happen to him." She said in a calm, soothing voice. E'thane looked at her and smiled a little. 

"I hope you're right…" 

~~*~~*~~

The orcs were all soon dead. Aragorn and Elrond returned to Legolas and Thranduil's side. They waited for the elf-warriors to regroup. One walked up to them. He held a bow and quiver of arrows in his hands. "Here Prince Legolas." He said, handing them over. Legolas thanked him and hugged his bow to his chest. He was afraid that it was broken. 

"I don't understand why there are so many orcs left." Aragorn said. 

"They have no purpose now that Sauron and Saruman are both dead. So they run around Middle Earth, searching for something to kill, as is their nature." Elrond said. Aragorn sighed. 

"I must make sure that they are all dead." Aragorn said. 

"Not now, Estel. There are other matters now." Elrond said to him. Aragorn nodded. 

"Come, let us go back." Thranduil said. Aragorn had Legolas ride with him back to the palace. 

~~*~~*~~

E'thane and Arwen were now sitting with the hobbits on the steps of the palace. Then they saw a large group of elves returning from the forest. E'thane jumped up and ran to meet them. He saw Legolas riding with Aragorn. He smiled. His brother was ok. He looked at his face. There was blood running down his face. Blood. It was something E'thane had never seen. He watched in silence as they rode closer, and Aragorn helped Legolas off the horse. Thranduil took him right to his room, and had a guard call the healer, just to make sure nothing serious was done to his son. 

~~*~~*~~

E'thane stood in the shadows and watched as all the elves were making a big fuss over Legolas. E'thane had strange thoughts enter his head. Why were they treating Legolas like he was on his deathbed? He was only cut in a few places. He had heard about elves being cut before and surviving. So what was the big deal? He started to grow angry. While Legolas was gone, E'thane tried his hardest to please his father. He knew his father loved him, but he also know that Thranduil loved Legolas more. Was it because Legolas was the eldest and was the one who would take over the throne? He had never felt jealousy toward his brother, until now. He remembered that when they were younger, they played together all the time, and Legolas really took E'thane under his wing. He thought him everything he knew. They went on many journeys through Mirkwood, exploring and hunting. But then, when the news came that Gollum escaped and Legolas had to go to Rivendell, E'thane was sad. He didn't want his brother to leave. But Legolas told E'thane that it would only be for a little while. But then, he didn't return for two years. Even for an elf, two years is a long time without a brother. 

E'thane finally got tired of watching all the fuss, so he left his spot in the shadows and started to wander around Mirkwood. As he walked, he saw Lord Elrond walking gracefully in his direction. His long dark hair was braided on the sides, and there was a silver circlet around his forehead. He wore long, flowing blue robes, and he was holding his hands together at his stomach. He seemed to be deep in thought. 

E'thane tried to pass Elrond without him noticing, but as soon as he did, Elrond blinked and turned. "E'thane, something is bothering you?" he asked. It wasn't really a question though, by the tone of his voice. It was more of a statement, as if Elrond knew what was wrong. E'thane was sure he did. He stopped walking and turned to face the Elf Lord. 

"There is Lord Elrond." He said quietly. Elrond nodded, and sat down on a nearby bench. The bench was made of stone, with wild icy growing up the sides of it. There were words carved in elvish on the back of the seat. Elrond motioned for E'thane to sit. He obeyed.

"Tell me, young princeling, what troubles you?" He asked in a clam voice.

"Well…" He started. He didn't know if he should really tell Elrond everything. Would he tell Thranduil? 

"Don't worry E'thane. I will not speak of this to anyone but you." Elrond said. E'thane then concluded that Elrond knew what was going on in his mind. He sighed, admitting defeat. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to the Elf Lord of Rivendell. 

"Everyone is making such a fuss over Legolas. It's just a few scratches. He'll be fine, won't he?" E'thane asked. Elrond nodded. "Then why is father making such a big deal about it?" E'thane asked. Elrond looked at him out of the corner of his eye. 

"You do not know what secrets and tricks the orcs carry with them. It could be anything from a poisoned sword or arrows, to just plain all out killing someone. Even an elf can be killed. Say Legolas was poisoned, and passed into shadow? Would you be ready to take on the responsibility of being King of Mirkwood?" Elrond asked. 

"Well, couldn't father just keep doing it?" He asked. 

"Thranduil will not want to be the king for longer than he really has to. Don't get me wrong, he loves Mirkwood, but after about 5,000 years of ruling, one tends to have a want for other things, such as traveling or just, leisure activities. I imagine how you must feel, E'thane, but you mustn't let something like this get to you. Your father loves you, and if it was you lost in the forest, Legolas and Thranduil would have come after you just as he went after Legolas. They both love you, and you can't doubt that." Elrond said to him, his voice steady. E'thane looked into his eyes. They were sincere and trustworthy. He smiled a little. 

"Thank you Lord Elrond. I feel a little better. Perhaps I will go see how Legolas is doing." He said. Elrond nodded, and bid him goodbye. E'thane sat on the bench for a few more minutes contemplating what Elrond had told him. Maybe his father really did love him, and would do the same for him if he was in danger. But then again, Elrond has been around for a while, and he could easily have learned how to act truthful at any given moment…

~~*~~*~~

I know, I didn't intend it to be this way, but that's ok. I have midterms in two days, and I'm not looking forward to them. So that means that the chances of me writing more parts of the story are kinda slim. But that's ok, right? Hehe. Read on!

Peace Out ~

Banana Nut Muffin 


	6. Chapter 6: The Crowning of King Legolas

Returning Home 

Part 6: The Crowning of King Legolas 

By: Banana Nut Muffin

I don't own them. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas stood before a long mirror in his bedroom. It had been 3 days since he was attacked in the forest by the orcs. Luckily, they didn't get to use any of their tricks on him, so he survived just fine. He was still feeling tired though. He had spent the last three nights talking to his friends about their lives. Then of course, his wonderful father, or the two wonderful hobbits would come and wake up him early in the morning. 

Today was finally the day that Legolas was to be crowned King of Mirkwood. The entire city was to attend. It was going to take place on the steps of the palace, so that all could see. Afterwards there was to be a huge feast in his honor. Decorations and the food were being prepared. There was still about 2 hours before the ceremony. 

Legolas looked at his reflection. He wore long, slightly loose black pants and new leather boots, along with a white top that had beautiful designs embroidered with silver thread. He also wore the cloak he was given in Loríen. His blond hair was braided on the sides, then pulled back and braided into one braid. He wore a silver circlet around his head, much like his fathers or Elrond's. Was he feeling nervous? Yes he was. Very nervous in fact. He turned from his mirror and sat on his bed.

~~*~~*~~

E'thane wandered around the palace aimlessly. Today was the day his brother was to be crowned as king of all Mirkwood. Great. 

He soon wandered into the throne room and saw Thranduil sitting on his chair. He looked as all elves did when they were deep in thought. Like they were asleep, only with their eyes open. When E'thane entered, Thranduil looked up. He smiled at him. E'thane felt his heart lurch. 

"Good afternoon, my son. How are you today? I noticed that you weren't at breakfast." He said in a very fatherly voice. E'thane looked down at the marble floors. 

"Well I uh, I wasn't hungry. And I'm doing well today." He said, answering his father's questions. Thranduil smiled. He motioned for E'thane to sit beside him. 

"Do you remember your mother, E'thane?" He asked. E'thane shook his head. Thranduil smiled sadly. 

"I didn't think you would. She was killed not long after you were born. A troll was running ramped through the forest, and she was out picking herbs. She… she never had a chance." He said sadly. E'thane looked up at his father and noticed the sad smile on his face. 

"What was her name?" E'thane asked.

"Brielle." He answered. "You look just like her. When you got older, and I noticed how much you resembled your mother, it saddened me, but then I came to realize that that was her way of showing that she lived on, through you, my son." He told him. E'thane suddenly felt like a 'goblin'. (I don't think people in Middle Earth use dork, retard, jerk or anything like that… haha) All along he had thought his father hated him, but now, he was telling him that he looked just like the mother he had never knew. That somehow made him really happy. 

"Thank you for telling me this, _Ada_." E'thane said. Thranduil smiled, and nodded. Then, the door to the throne room opened, and an elf dressed in fine clothes walked in. It was Polassar, Thranduil's friend. 

"Your highness, there are some preparations that need your opinion." He said. Thranduil rested a hand on E'thane shoulder. Then he left, following Polassar out the door. 

"I can't believe I ever doubted my father." He said out loud. 

~~*~~*~~

Aragorn walked down the hall and found Legolas's door. He knocked, and waited for a reply. He heard Legolas's soft voice on the other side. Aragorn turned the knob and walked in. He saw his friend sitting on the bed, staring out the window. He sat down beside him. 

"Are you alright?" He asked. Legolas nodded. "You are nervous." 

"I am. But there is nothing I can really do to not be nervous. I just have to get through it." Legolas said with mock defeat. Aragorn laughed. 

"I'm glad you are taking it well." Aragorn said. Legolas looked at him. 

"Aragorn. Will you join me for a walk? I have a desire to see my mother's grave." He said. Aragorn looked at his friend's sad eyes and nodded. They stood, and Prince and King left the room and went out one of the many doors that led to the garden behind the palace. They walked along the cobblestones and chatted about various things. 

"So where are the hobbits?" Legolas asked. 

"They insisted on helping Elrohir and Elladan decorate the city. Arwen is with them as well. She doesn't see them often now." Aragorn told him. 

"Will Sam be leaving when the ceremony's over?" 

"Yes. The twins have agreed to escort him back to the Shire. The shire is also something that they have never seen, so they are using it as an opportunity to see it. Besides, there was no way I was going to let Sam ride all the way back by himself." Aragorn explained. 

"Of course." Legolas said. They kept walking, and soon came to a clearing. There were trees all around a patch of plain, green grass. In the middle, there was a beautiful headstone, carved of marble. It was in the likeness of his mother. A tall she-elf, with long blond hair and the brightest blue eyes one would ever have seen. In the statue, she was wearing a long dress, with flowing sleeves. There were flowers engraved into her hair. On the headstone, under the statue, it simply said "Brielle." The two friends looked at the grave for a while. 

_~~Legolas is thinking in Elvish now~~_

"Mother, today is the day that I take father's place. I know you would not have let it be so if you did not think it wise. But do you really think that I can do it? Can I hold together our kingdom? What if I fail? What would become of our beloved Mirkwood? I hope that you will lend me strength as I endure this new phase in my life. I will think of you always, mother. I love you." 

_~~End Thinking~~_

Legolas opened his eyes. Aragorn was sitting standing beside him, looking down at the grave. Legolas knew by the look in his eye, that he was thinking of his mother as well. Then, Aragorn turned his head and looked at Legolas. They both were ready to go, so they set out along the path back to the palace. 

~~*~~*~~

All the elves of Mirkwood were gathered at the steps of the palace. Ribbons, flowers and other such decorations were everywhere. There was a small band off to the side, ready to strike up the music to begin the celebration. Legolas stood at the top of the stairs, and his friends were lines up along the side. E'thane was on the other side of him. Thranduil stood before him. 

"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood, my son…" He started out. "Today is the day that you will become what I was. The king. You will take my place as the ruler of these lands, and I know in my heart that you will rule them well." A beautiful crown was passed to Thranduil. It was made of _mithril_. Legolas marveled at the beauty of it. It was in a circle, and it looked as if there were vines around it with many leaves. Thranduil held it up. "This, my fellow elves, is a gift of the dwarves. It was made in the core of the Lonely Mountain, our Northern Neighbors. They give this to your new king as a gift of peace, hoping that someday, there will no longer be hate between us and them, as before the Dark Days." Then he turned to Legolas. "Legolas Greenleaf, I name you now, King Legolas of Mirkwood!" He said, and rested the crown on his head. Cheers broke out from the once silent crowd. Music began to play, and everyone bowed as Thranduil moved away to reveal the new king. A chant arose from the crowd. 

_"Long live King Legolas! Long live King Legolas!"_ Legolas smiled at all the elves, bowing before him. Finally, when they were quiet again, he spoke. 

"My friends, it is my desire to rule over these lands as my father had before me, and to banish the hate between our Dwarf Neighbors. We will all remember this day as the day that a new age has started for Elves and Dwarves!" He said. The crown of _mithril_ had brought tears to his eyes when Thranduil placed it upon his head. It made him think of Gimli. But Gimli would live on, in the hearts of the dwarves, and soon, in the hearts of the elves. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas stood with Aragorn, Arwen, Thranduil and Elrond at the top of the stairs. They watched the elves of Mirkwood enjoy food, music, and the company of their friends and family. The group was silent as they watched the scene before them. Finally, Legolas spoke. "If you would all excuse me, there is something I want to do." He said. They nodded, and he went into the palace. When he walked in, he saw E'thane standing by the throne. Legolas looked at him. 

"What's wrong, brother?" He asked. E'thane shrugged. 

"Nothing." He said quietly. Legolas walked to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Something is wrong. I've know you too long." He said with a half smile. E'thane turned to him. 

"Do I look like mother?" He asked.

"Yes, E'thane, you do. You look just like her. You know, whenever I was sad that she was gone, back when we were younger, much younger, I would always look at you, and I would feel happy again, because I knew that she was living in you." Legolas confided in him. He had never told that to anyone. E'thane looked up into the eyes of his older brother.

"Do you mean it?" He asked. Legolas nodded. Then he smiled. 

"Come with me, little brother, for there is something I want to show you."

~~*~~*~~

End of part 6

No, it's not over, not by a long shot! MUAHAHA! I'm kind of glad I incorporated the little story about E'thane in there. I think it makes it a little more interesting. Right? Hehe. Read on. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin       


	7. Chapter 7: Forgiveness

Returning Home 

Chapter 7: Forgiveness

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Don't own 'em.

~~*~~*~~

The brothers walked silently through the Gardens. E'thane rarely ever went into the Garden. He always thought it was boring, but now, it was the most beautiful place he had ever known. As they walked, he looked up at his brother. He seemed different. Older, more mature. He admired the way he stood, tall and proud, and the way his golden hair reflected the sunlight. His bright blue eyes stared forward, and he seemed lost in thought. 

Finally, they reached a small path of dirt. Legolas led his brother down the path. They came to their mother's grave. E'thane stared at it. He had never seen it before. He didn't even know that it was here. Legolas looked upon it sadly. 

"She was a wonderful person." Legolas commented. E'thane looked from him to the statue of his mother. 

"Why was she out getting herbs that day?" E'thane asked. 

"Because several of the servants were sick as was father, so she wanted to go out and get herbs herself." Legolas told him. E'thane sort of glared at the tombstone. 

"Couldn't she have had servants get them for her?" He asked. Legolas shrugged. 

"I suppose she could have, but she really wanted to be the one to get the herbs. She was that kind of elf. She always wanted to the be one who would do anything for her family…" Legolas answered. 

"Like get herself killed." E'thane mumbled. Legolas looked at him, shocked by his sudden hostility towards their mother. 

"E'thane, what's wrong?" Legolas asked. All the anger that E'thane had kept pent up was finally released. 

"I'll tell you what's wrong. Everyone made a big fuss over you because you have a few scratches on your face. No one wanted to know how I was doing! No one cares about the second born child of a king! They only care about you, Legolas! Only you!" As he said this, his eyes turned cold and hard. Legolas felt a stab at his heart. Did his own brother really feel that way? Then he felt angry.

"What's gotten into you?" Legolas asked, his voice rising.

"Nothing! What's gotten into you, and father, and what came over mother that possessed her to go out in the forest to gather herbs for lowly servants! She was stupid to do that! She could have sent someone else to do that! But she had to go and get herself killed!" E'thane shouted. Tears soon filled Legolas's eyes. His memories of that day were flooding back to him like a river. When he saw his mother brought in, her face torn and bloody, her bones broken, her eyes wide in terror, the way they looked when the troll attacked her. Legolas turned from his brother, and several tears rolled down his pale cheeks. 

E'thane watched his brother. He saw the tears but he didn't know why they were there. "E'thane, you weren't old enough to see mother the way she died. It was not a good way to die. She was torn up, inside and out. You didn't see her when they brought in her body. You didn't see…" He said quietly. Legolas then fell to his knees. E'thane looked down at him, wondering if his anger was real, or just because he needed attention. He didn't think it was the younger brother's job to make the older one cry. He hated to see Legolas like this. He started to walk away. He heard Legolas speak. "Please, E'thane, you can't leave me alone. This is the time I need you the most. You are my brother and I need you for support." Legolas told him. Green eyes met blue, and E'thane looked sadly at his brother. He saw truth in Legolas's eyes. He did need him. What were brothers for? He held out his hand in front of Legolas and helped him up. Legolas pulled him into a hug. 

"Thank you Legolas. I'm sorry I was harsh. Please forgive me." He said sadly. Legolas smiled. 

"There is nothing to be forgiven. I understand how you must feel. And please E'thane, when ever you feel troubles, please come and talk to me." He said. E'thane nodded and he hugged his older brother. 

"Come on King Legolas of Mirkwood. Your public awaits."

~~*~~*~~

When they arrived back at the ceremony, Legolas saw his father. E'thane had run off to be with some of the younger elflings. Legolas walked to his father's side. Thranduil turned to look at his son. 

"Legolas, are you alright?" He asked. He saw how puffy and red Legolas's eyes looked.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing." Legolas said, smiling. Thranduil smiled back and turned. 

~~*~~*~~

The ceremony actually turned out to be fun. There was a lot of dancing, and a lot of food. Several times, Merry and Pippin were standing on a table, singing away. The elves all cheered the two on. There was a large meal prepared and Legolas sat at the head of his table, his father at the other end. E'thane and Legolas's friends also sat at the table. They had fun laughing and joking around. 

It finally got late enough that the Elves were told it was time to calm down. It took a while, but they did, and the decorations and the other messes were left for the next morning. 

~~*~~*~~

"Cursed sunlight…" Legolas muttered, rolling over in his bed and pulling the blanket over him. He decided he didn't like the sunlight very much. Then, there was the knock. The door opened and Thranduil was standing in the doorway. 

"Rise and shine Legolas!" He said cheerfully. Legolas muttered something about getting a new law saying you aren't allowed to wake the king, and he climbed slowly out of bed. He dressed, and fixed his hair. Then he walked out of his room and headed to breakfast. His friends were already at the table eating. Legolas was about to sit in his chair, when he saw that Thranduil was sitting in it. Then he remember he was the king now. He plopped down in the chair at the head of the table. 

"Well, good morning sunshine!" Elladan said cheerfully. Legolas shook his head. He started to eat. 

"So, it's all set then?" Elrohir asked. "It's all set that Elladan and I are taking the hobbit to the shire?" Elrond nodded.

"Yes, you shall get ready after breakfast." He said. The twins and Sam all nodded in acknowledgement. 

~~*~~*~~

And so it was. After breakfast, Sam, and the twins packed their things and were ready to move out. Good byes were said, and the twins promised to come back soon and visit with Legolas for longer. Sam was wished good luck with his fourth child. They said goodbye, and soon, the trio set out through the forests of Mirkwood in the direction of the Shire. 

As the day progressed, Legolas found Merry and Pippin out in the courtyard, smoking something native to the shire. 

"So, my friends, how long are you planning on staying. I know it's a long journey for you." Legolas said. They shrugged. 

"I don't know. I kind of like it here, eh, Merry?" Pippin said, blowing out smoke. 

"Yes Pip. It's nice here. We might be staying a while." Merry said, looking at Legolas. He nodded. 

"Stay as long as you like. When you are ready to head home, just let me know." They thanked him, and he left. 

Legolas returned to the palace, and he went in the throne room. Everyone seemed to be gathered there. Aragorn, Arwen, Elrond, Thranduil, and E'thane were all standing around in a circle. When they heard the doors open, they turned. 

"Hello Legolas. I'm glad you've returned." Thranduil said, smiling. Legolas didn't like the way they were all smiling at him. 

"What's going on?" He asked, frightened. Arwen walked gracefully over to Legolas, Aragorn following her. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him out the door. "Hey wait! I wanna know what's going on!" He said helplessly. 

"We are going to find you new clothes!" Arwen said, smiling. Legolas's eyes widened in terror. 

"NOOOO!!!!"

~~*~~*~~

Haha. Ok, so that was a little exaggerated, but that's ok. Hey, be proud, I wrote this at 5:30 am, since I was up already studying for MIDTERMS! Those of you who have them as well… good luck. Anywho, hopefully I can get another part in later today. I have an idea! Hehe. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin   


	8. Chapter 8: Across the Desert

Returning Home 

Chapter 8: Across the Desert

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Yeah…

Ok, now, the title doesn't really apply to the whole story, but that's ok. Because its easier for you to have all the parts of the story in one place other than have a whole bunch of them all over the place, right?

~~*~~*~~

One Year Later… 

****

A dwarf stood on a lookout that was carved into the mountain. He was squinting off into the distance, at the pass between Withered Heath and the Irons Hills. It was mostly desert, and beyond the mountains, it was all desert. But something had caught his eye. There was a large group moving slowly through the pass. He squinted his eyes more. Then he figured out who they were. They were elves, however, they looked different than the ones who lived in Mirkwood. He would have to alert King Legolas at once. He raced down from the overlook and found a messenger dwarf and told him what to tell the king. The messenger nodded, climbed on his horse, and rode off down the path through the woods. 

~~*~~*~~

After Legolas had been crowed King, he called the leaders of the dwarves in the Lonely Mountain to come to the palace. They did, and they soon made agreements between them. Then, the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Elves of Mirkwood came together at the center between the two places, and Legolas announced that they would not have harsh feelings towards the dwarves, and the dwarf leaders said the same about the elves. They would now be friends, and hopefully be able to convince all the elves and dwarves to come together in peace once again. So a path was created through Mirkwood Forest, connecting the Lonely Mountain and Mirkwood. And they soon forgot their differences and became friends. 

Also, Legolas had written a book on his journey with Gimli, and the rest of the Fellowship. The people in Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain all read it, and they knew the whole story. The elders would pass the story down to the children and the children would do so for their children. The story would last forever. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas sat in his throne room, with E'thane sitting beside him. Thranduil had gone with Elrond to Rivendell to stay there for a while, and Aragorn and Arwen had left only a few days ago. The palace was fairly quiet, save for the two remaining hobbits. Legolas and E'thane were both reading. Then, the doors to the palace burst open. A dwarf came running in, panting. A few of the guards came in after him. Legolas jumped to his feet and ran to the dwarf. "Is something wrong?" He asked. The dwarf nodded, and Legolas waited while he caught his breath. 

"We saw Elves moving across the pass from the desert. They don't look like you, however, but they are still too far away to see." He panted. Legolas called a servant and asked them to get the dwarf some food. The elf guards looked at their king. 

"What will we do?" They asked. 

"Round up a few more guards. Prepare horses for E'thane and myself. We ride as soon as possible." Legolas said. E'thane and Legolas went to their rooms. E'thane got his favorite bow and a quiver, and threw on a cloak. Legolas got his bow and quiver, and threw on his Loríen cloak. They rushed outside and found two horses waiting. There were several guards on horses as well. Legolas and his brother jumped onto their horses, and they begun to ride. While they were going through Mirkwood, several elves gathered, wondering what was going on. Legolas halted the procession. "Elves of Mirkwood. Fear not. There are some strange elves coming from the Northern Waste. We are going to find out what they are doing here!" Legolas told them. Then he saw Merry and Pippin. He leaned down to them. "Could I ask you two to go back to the palace and watch it for me?" They nodded, and ran off. Then, they started riding again. 

~~*~~*~~

When they reached the Lonely Mountain, there were several important dwarf leaders waiting outside for them. There were also some of the dwarfs who lived in the Lonely Mountain. They followed the elves around the base and soon they were facing the direction of the desert. Legolas squinted his elf eyes and saw them. They had dark skin, and were wearing loose clothing. All of the elves hair was light. As was their eyes. They rode horses, though, they were smaller than normal horses. There seemed to be about one hundred of them. The group waited in silence as the dark elves rode closer and closer. 

Finally, they reached them. Legolas sat up tall on his horse. The leader rode up in front of him. His long, almost white hair, was all pulled back and held back with a piece of cloth. He wore a white shirt with white pants, and no boots. There wasn't any real sign that he was the leader except for the white. All the others wore light blues, purples, and greens. The leader's eyes were light blue, almost a gray color. 

"My name is Ainu of the Northern Waste. I come seeking the King of Mirkwood." He said, his eyes scanning the group, and he looked surprised to see the dwarves among them. 

"You have found him, Ainu. My name is Legolas Greenleaf." Legolas said. Ainu nodded. "What is the nature of your business?"

"I have come to ask something of you." Ainu said. "But I would prefer if we could talk in private." He said, glancing around at the dwarves and the other elven guards. Legolas nodded. He motioned for them to follow. Rilir, the King of the Dwarves, came beside Legolas. 

"Legolas," he said in a gruff voice. "Are you sure about them? They could be planning something." Legolas looked down at him. 

"Do not fear, my friend. I will make sure they don't try anything. I'll make sure they stay out of your hair." Rilir nodded, and gathered his people to him. Legolas ordered some of the guards to follow behind the desert elves. E'thane rode up along side Legolas. 

"Brother, I agree with Rilir. What if these elves can't be trusted?" He asked. 

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." Legolas smiled. E'thane tried to smile back, but concern was growing in his heart, and he feared for his brother's safety. When the ground reached the city of Mirkwood, all the elves stopped and watched the procession. Never before had they seen elves with dark skin. Some of the elves looked questioningly at Legolas, but he only smiled in reassurance. When they reached the palace, the doors were opened, and the horses taken to be fed and groomed. Legolas asked that the visiting elves and the guards wait outside, and he took Ainu in with him. E'thane wanted to follow, but Legolas wanted him to stay outside. The king led Ainu through the halls and into Legolas's private room. They sat down. 

"So what brings you to Mirkwood?" Legolas asked. 

"There has been trouble in our little colony. Also, we have had bad years for growing for the last few years. We are descendants of your people, and we would like to ask if we could stay here, at least until we find another place to settle." Ainu said. Legolas was looked in his eyes the entire time. Something kept tugging at his mind, something wasn't right. 

"I think we could probably work something out. There are some empty buildings near the edge of the city. You could stay there if you like." Legolas said. Ainu stood and bowed. 

"Thank you so much, King Legolas. We do contribute as much as we can to your city." He said, smiling. Legolas noticed that there wasn't something right about his smile either. Never the less, Legolas smiled back, and he rose. He led him out of the room and down the steps of the palace. Ainu went to talk to his people, and E'thane ran up to him. 

"Well??" He asked. 

"They will be staying in that deserted part of the city, on the outskirts. I think you are right, however, that there is something wrong. We have to keep a close eye on them." Legolas said. 

~~*~~*~~

So the dark elves lived in the outskirts of the city, and tried to make a contribution to the community the best they could. They didn't have much. There were guards constantly watching them, though they were disguised as regular elves. It had been about two months since they arrived, and Ainu decided to pay Legolas a visit. We went to the palace and requested permission to enter. E'thane, who was in the courtyard at the time, told the guards to let him in. Ainu thanked him and went inside. Ainu and Legolas talked for a long time, and Ainu did most of the talking. He talked about living in the Northern Waste, but Legolas never found how why they lived there. 

It was soon dinnertime and Legolas invited Ainu to join him, and he did. They talked more and when they were finished, they went to the Great Room to finish up the stories of their travels. 

As Legolas spoke, he started to feel light headed. He held his head in his hands. "Sorry Ainu, I guess I had a little too much wine." Legolas said, drowsily. Ainu smiled and nodded. 

"That's quite alright. Here." Ainu offered Legolas his arm and led him to his room. As soon as he had him on his bed, he left, and went out onto a balcony. He whistled and several elves jumped from the trees. They swarmed the palace. 

E'thane had been in his room reading when the door opened. It was one of the desert elves, dressed in blue. E'thane stood and was about to order him out when he ran to him and placed a rather sharp knife to E'thane's throat. "You will say nothing and stay out of our way, or else your brother will die, and you'll be next." He said. E'thane nodded. Then, Merry and Pippin were dragged into the room as well. The guards dropped them. Then E'thane heard a thump on the balcony. He saw another elf in blue barricading the door to the balcony from the outside. When the other guards left, the room was locked, and there was no way out. 

"What's going on?" Merry asked. E'thane shook his head. 

"I don't know."

~~*~~*~~

end of chapter 8. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin   


	9. Chapter 9: The Northern Waste

Returning Home 

Chapter 9: The Northern Waste

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Oh, this is assuming that there are still lots of elves in Rivendell. I love being an authoress!

~~*~~*~~

The sun beat down on Legolas's face. He tried to pull his blanket up, but his blanket wasn't there. 'Must have kicked it off the bed last night.' He thought. He opened his eyes, and saw sand. He sat up quickly, but that made him dizzy. He held his head, and waited for his vision to clear. Then, he opened his eyes again. He was sitting in the middle of a desert. The Northern Waste. He looked around frantically, then pinched himself. It was no dream. The sun really was that hot, and the horizon really was that bare. He looked around him. There were footprints, but the wind had covered the rest with sand. He had no idea where to go, or what to do for that matter. He was so confused. How had he gotten there? And how long had be been there. 

The sun was getting really warm, so he shed some of his layers. That helped some, but there was no escaping the heat. His skin was fair, and would burn easily in the sun. He figured the only thing he could do was walk, and try to remember what happened. 

~~*~~*~~

E'thane and the hobbits were locked in E'thane's room for 4 days. The desert elves brought them food and drink. While they were sitting in E'thane room on the fourth evening, the door opened. Ainu walked in, and E'thane almost cried out at what he saw. Sitting on top of Ainu's head, was Legolas's crown from the dwarves. E'thane wanted to jump up and snatch it off his head, but that would do no good since Ainu could easily kill him. 

"Well, E'thane, and hobbits. You are free from your room. However, you will not wander into the city. You will remain in the palace, or in the courtyard. That is as far as you may go." He said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. 

"Where is Legolas?" Pippin asked, suddenly fearing the worst. 

"Oh, don't worry about him. He was taken into the safety of the Northern Waste. For four days and three nights, my men rode, taking him as far as they could. He will not get into trouble there, except for maybe, death." Ainu laughed and left the room. E'thane and the hobbits were in shock. Legolas was all alone out in the desert, with nothing. Why had these elves taken over when Legolas so graciously let them live in Mirkwood? He turned to the hobbits.

"Stay close to one another. Don't do anything you think might make them mad. I'm going to find out what I can." E'thane said, and the hobbits nodded. The three of them left the room. 

~~*~~*~~

Three days had passed since Legolas woke up. It was torture being in the desert. It was deadly hot in the day, and at night, it was deathly cold. There was no escaping it. He was starting to grow sick as well. His head was always burning, even at night, and his was dizzy most of the time. He figured it was from being in the sun. 

Everyday he would walk until he collapsed. Then he would wake and start to walk again. He would see things as well. Things in the distance. He would run to them, but then they would disappear. The sun was driving him crazy… he didn't know how much longer he could go on…

~~*~~*~~

Over the last three days, E'thane had hidden in the shadows, listening for anything concerning his brother. Nothing. He had however, found out that all the guards of Mirkwood were locked in the dungeons under the palace. 

Merry and Pippin got along well enough. They would sit outside and smoke, and quickly befriended some of the guards. E'thane thought it was amazing that these elves who had thrown a fellow elf into the desert would laugh at the jokes of a hobbit. 

When five more days passed, E'thane realized there was nothing else he could do. He fell into the habit of locking himself away from everyone and reading in the library. He figured that his brother was dead. 

~~*~~*~~

Was it five, or six, or seven? He couldn't remember any more. Legolas had lost count of the days. His body was weak, his fever getting worse. His lips were cracked and dry from endless attempts to make them moist. He hadn't had food in a long time. His face burned from the sun, and he had shed most of his clothing, unable to carry it during the day, and wishing he had it at night. He could barely stand anymore as well. He would try, and fall. Then he would get up and walk, then fall. 

Finally, after several more days of walking, he saw something in the distance. Mountains! He could see mountains! But then, he thought they were just the visions he would see. He decided to see if they really were there, since they seemed to be further off than the visions he had. He started towards them.

~~*~~*~~

Gray clouds covered the sky over Rivendell, and for miles and miles beyond that. The rain poured in heavy sheets. An elf clad in the armor of Rivendell was out scouting the surrounding area, beyond the river and near the Ettnenmoors. He wished he had chosen a different day to do this. His dark hair was soaked, and his dark eyes were squinted against the falling rain. As he was riding his horse, he saw a heap lying in the middle of a field. He squinted, but could not make out what it was through the blur of the rain. He rode closer and closer until he saw that it was a man. No, it was an elf. He was lying face down in the softening ground. The guard, who's name was Lestyn, rolled the body over and gasped. It was King Legolas of Mirkwood! He looked just like Thranduil. Lestyn quickly looked over him. His hair was dirty, matted and tangled. His face was red and his lips cracked. His clothes were dirt, torn, and had a few bloodstains on them, mainly near the collar of the shirt. The shirt was open, and when he pushed it aside, he saw that the elf's skin was red, and almost brown. Quickly, he picked him up and got on his horse. Holding the body against him, wrapping the cloak around him for warmth, he sped back to Rivendell. 

~~*~~*~~

Lord Elrond and Thranduil sat in an enclosed room, drinking wine and laughing. Then, the door to the room burst open. Elrond and Thranduil turned their attention to who had come through. It was an elf guard, soaked all the way to the bone. Elrond stood. "What's the matter Remnor?" He asked. 

"Lestyn has returned, and he has King Legolas with him. There is something wrong with him!" Remnor said, in almost a shout. Thranduil and Elrond looked at each, then started running, following the guard. They ran out into the courtyard of the house of Elrond and saw Lestyn holding a body in his arms. Thranduil gasped when he saw his son. 

"Where did you find him?" Thranduil asked. 

"Near the Ettnenmoors." Lestyn said. Elrond scanned his body, then quickly turned to go back in. 

"Bring him." He said. The guard nodded and followed Elrond, with Thranduil and Remnor close behind. They brought him to a guest room and Lestyn laid him on the bed. Elrond ordered a servant to bring all the herbs and medicine that Elrond had. With out knowing what was wrong, there was little he could do. First, he pulled off his shirt and looked at his shoulders. They were burnt red. He must have been in the sun, since his face was red too. Elrond then rested a hand on his head. Fever. 

"Well…?" Thranduil asked. Elrond turned to him. 

"He has a fever, and he was obviously in the sun for long periods of time. We should first clean him up though, and find out what's dirt and what could be bruises or other such things." Elrond said. Thranduil nodded and looked sadly at his son. Elrond ordered that a bath be ready for Legolas. Once he was clean and his hair was combed out and not tangled, he was placed in a baggy white shirt and baggy white pants. Then he was brought back to the bed. Elrond stayed up with him most of the night. Thranduil had fallen asleep in a chair from stress and worry. 

In the morning, Elrond awoke to find Legolas thrashing in the bed. He was sweating as well. Most likely a fever. Elrond placed a cool hand on his head. The fever was the same as the night before. Elrond got a picture of water and started to force little amounts of water into his mouth. He his did so, Legolas's eyes opened slightly. 

"Legolas? Can you hear me?" Elrond asked. 

"E-Elrond?" He asked, his voice quiet, barely audible. Elrond nodded. 

"Yes Legolas. It's me." Legolas lifted a thin hand slowly and grasped his robes. He felt the clothes in his fingers. He knew it wasn't a dream. Then his eyes closed once again. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas slept for two days, with Elrond at his side most of the time. He kept dabbing a cold wet cloth on his face, and put a special salve on his burns. Thranduil was very worried. At least he was alive. When the second day came, it was near dinner when Legolas opened his eyes. He felt a cool hand on his face. Legolas saw a faint vision of Elrond hovering over him. 

"Can you still hear me, Legolas?" Elrond asked. 

"Y-yes…" He answered. Elrond smiled. When Legolas tried to sit up, it pained him. He laid back down into the soft blankets of the bed. His face and shoulders burned, his head ached, and he felt weak. "Elrond…" He said quietly. 

"Yes?" 

"Is… my father… here?" He asked. Elrond nodded. He stood, and soon came back. Thranduil was behind him.

"Oh Legolas!" He nearly cried. He took his son's frail hand in his and patted it. "I knew you would be ok!" He said. A small smile formed on Legolas's lips, but they were still cracked.

~~*~~*~~

End of Chapter 9. Haha. Um… yeah. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin   


	10. Chapter 10: The March Unto Mirkwood

Returning Home 

Chapter 10: The March Unto Mirkwood

By: Banana Nut Muffin

~~*~~*~~

The day after Legolas woke up, he had enough strength in him to sit up in his bed. His burns were still severe however. He had suffered from extreme dehydration. But Elrond would continue giving him small amounts of water and each time he would give him a little more. While Elrond was giving him water, he asked Legolas a question. "Do you think you feel well enough to tell us what happened?" Elrond asked. Thranduil looked up, he too hoping for an explanation. Legolas nodded slightly. Elrond and Thranduil sat on the bed with him, and he quietly relayed what had happened. 

"So you don't know how long you were out there?" Thranduil asked. Legolas shook his head. Talking had worn him out and he was getting sleepy again. Elrond and Thranduil left him so he could sleep, and so they could talk. 

"He doesn't know how he got out there. That might be a problem. Something must be happening in Mirkwood." Elrond said. Thranduil nodded in agreement. Just as they said this, a messenger elf jogged up to the elf lords. 

"Lord Elrond, Lord Thranduil, forgive me for interrupting, but this message came from Mirkwood." He said. Elrond thanked him and the two elves stole away to Elrond's library. They sat in some chairs and Elrond nearly tore open the letter. He read it out loud. 

_Ada and Lord Elrond,_

_It has been close to fifteen days since I last saw Legolas… You see, we allowed these strange elves to live in the deserted part of Mirkwood. They came from the Northern Waste. We had guards posted around them at all times. Then one day, Legolas allowed the leader, Ainu, to talk with him, and they mostly talked about their journeys. Then, Ainu stayed for dinner. I do not know what events transcribed in the Great Room. I was in my room. Then, as I was sitting there, Merry and Pippin were brought into my room, and there we were locked for four days. Then, Ainu let us out, but we weren't allowed to leave the palace or the courtyard. Ainu told me that… that they had taken Legolas out to the Northern Waste. They had taken him the day that Ainu had stayed with us. And you know what he did? He took Legolas's crown of mithril and he is wearing it. I wanted to take it from him, but I couldn't let myself be killed. The hobbits are faring well enough. They have managed to befriend some of the guards. You may be thinking, where are the Mirkwood guards? Well, they are locked up in the dungeons. I don't know how long they have been planning this, but I fear the worst, that Legolas is dead. No one could live in the Northern Waste for very long who wasn't used to it. I'm sorry I had to bring you this ill news. _

_I suspect that it will have been close to nineteen days since I last saw Legolas by the time this letter reaches you. _

_Love,_

_E'thane_

Thranduil and Elrond looked at each other. So that's what happened.

"I have heard of these elves who live in the Northern Waste. I don't know how they do it, but they do. They live out there. But why did they suddenly leave, I wonder." Elrond said. Thranduil was at a loss for words. His kingdom had been taken over… and he was going to do whatever he could to get it back. 

"Should we tell Legolas?" Thranduil asked. Elrond shook his head. 

"Not just yet. We should wait until he can at least eat something. We can't let him have a bunch of food all at once**…" Elrond said. Thranduil nodded. 

~~*~~*~~

E'thane walked through the corridors of the palace, his face grim. He hoped with all his heart that the letter made it safely to his father and Elrond in Rivendell. As he walked, he saw Ainu. E'thane drew his hands into his sleeves and clenched them as to not attack him. Ainu carried a sword with him wherever he went. As he passed, he nodded to E'thane. After he was gone, E'thane drew his hands out of his sleeves. He had cut his own hands with his fingernails. He quickly went to a washroom to clean them up and make sure no one noticed. 

~~*~~*~~

Later that evening, Elrond went back into Legolas's room. He was lying on the bed, his eyes open. Elrond sat beside him. His fever was still high, and his skin was still burnt. He was still weak as well. Elrond didn't know how long it would take for Legolas to recover, or if he ever would… He decided not to tell Thranduil about his thoughts on the matter. He had enough to worry about. 

Legolas looked into Elrond's eyes. He looked worried. He opened his mouth and managed to say "What's wrong?" Elrond looked at him sadly. "Am I to die?" Legolas asked. Elrond took a deep breath. 

"I do not know Legolas. You were out in the desert for a long time. Your fever is high." Elrond said. Legolas sank back in the pillows. 

"I won't die…" he said faintly, before falling into sleep once again. 

~~*~~*~~

Elrond started believing in miracles. Over the next four days, Legolas improved a lot. His burns started to fade, and the fever was going down. He started giving Legolas small amounts of food. Also, Legolas requested to take a bath in the coolness of the river. He was taken there and he bathed, and when he came back, his fever was even lower. In the evening of the fourth night, Legolas stopped Elrond before he left the room. "Thank you for saving me." Legolas said. Elrond smiled. 

"I do not know how much of it was my doing." He said. "I think much of it was you." Legolas smiled a little and fell asleep.

During one of the times that Legolas was awake, Elrond and Thranduil gave in and told Legolas everything that they knew had happened in Mirkwood. Legolas was stunned. He couldn't believe he had allowed that to happen. Making sure not to press the matter, they quickly told Legolas that it was not his fault, and asked him to return to sleeping. They didn't want to worry him too much. The next time he awoke, he spoke with Thranduil a long time about Mirkwood, and Thranduil succeeded in convincing Legolas that it was not his fault, and that they would somehow get Mirkwood back.

Three days later, Legolas was out of bed and walking. It felt good to stretch his legs. That was also the day that Elrohir and Elladan returned from traveling the Shire and the surrounding lands. Legolas was sitting in a chair on his balcony when they arrived. They heard of the news, and quickly ran up to his room. They entered and Elrohir flung his arms around Legolas. "Thank Valar you are alright!" he cried. Legolas smiled and nodded. It still hurt to talk much, so he listened to the twins talk of their adventures. That evening, they ate dinner, and they all gathered in Legolas's room to discuss what to do next. Legolas was on his bed, Elrohir and Elladan sitting on either side of him, and Elrond and Thranduil were in chairs beside the bed. 

"Well, like you said, there are desert elves in Mirkwood. But there couldn't have been that many?" Elladan said. He looked to Legolas. 

"Only about 100." He said softly. 

"So... any ideas?" Elrohir asked. They were silent for a few minutes. Then Legolas's weak voice answered. 

"I want to ride into Mirkwood and take it back." He said. Thranduil looked at his son. 

"Out of the question! You are not strong enough Legolas! If we do do that, it would be soldiers. You are still sick." He said. Legolas looked hurt, and Elrohir placed an arm around him. Thranduil sighed. He hated to see his son upset. 

"I think it's a good idea though." Elladan said. 

"It may seem that way, but to ride in to take back one's own country by force is not the wisest thing to do. Besides, Mirkwood elves could get hurt." Elrond said. 

"I still think we should do it. Elrohir and I could gather some soldiers who are up to it. Then we can ride to Mirkwood through the Pass, and take back with belongs to Legolas and Thranduil." Elladan said. Elrond sighed. He looked at his old friend. 

"What do you think?" He asked. 

"We must do what must be done." He said simply. 

~~*~~*~~

And so it was. Elladan and Elrohir went out into Rivendell and rounded up close to two hundred elves who would fight for the cause of Mirkwood. Legolas recovered slowly, but he was eventually able to sit up and eat by himself. The burns faded. It would take them a week to ride over the pass and get to the edge of Mirkwood. Then they couldn't figure how long it would take to get through the trees. 

"If we can't get through the trees, we could go around." Elladan suggested. 

"How would we get into the city?" Elrond asked. Elladan was silent. 

"The path." Legolas said quietly. They looked at him. "There is a path from the Lonely Mountain to the city of Mirkwood." Legolas told them quietly. He still couldn't talk loud, or much, for it tired him. Elladan smiled. 

"Like I said, ride around." 

~~*~~*~~

Two days later, the small army was assembled and they were ready to ride. Elrohir insisted that Legolas ride with him, for he was not yet strong enough to ride by himself. When all were ready, Thranduil gave the command, and they started out on their march to Mirkwood. 

It took them a week to ride to the edge of Mirkwood, as Thranduil said. No matter how much they insisted, Legolas would not let them stop on his account. True, he wouldn't have been able to ride alone, but with Elrohir behind him, he was fine. He just got tired, and would fall asleep. After they reached the edge of Mirkwood, it only took them a day and a half to ride around the outside of the forest. When they reached the edge of the Lonely Mountain, there were several dwarf guards standing around. They saw the group of Elves, and stopped them. 

"Who ride to the Path of Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain?" One of them asked. 

"We ride from Rivendell to reclaim Mirkwood for King Legolas!" Elrohir shouted. The dwarves whispered among themselves. 

"Does the King live?" One asked. Elrohir nodded and lifted the hood of Legolas's cloak. He was sleeping, but the dwarves knew him. The dwarf who did the talking blew a horn, and more dwarves came out of the mountain. 

"Come, my kinsmen! For the Mirkwood elves need us!" He said. The dwarves cheered, and Elrond, the twins, and Thranduil looked at each other, confused. By this time, Legolas had woken up. 

"Legolas, tell me, what happened between the elves and the dwarves?" Elladan asked from beside him. 

"We are neighbors and treat each other as such." Legolas said. Elladan smiled. He welcomed the help of these dwarves. Soon, elves and dwarves rode through the path and came closer and closer to the city.

~~*~~*~~

E'thane rubbed his forehead with one hand, and then he heard something. It was the sound of a horn. But not any horn, it was the dwarf horn. Since the desert elves came here, the dwarves ceased to visit. Why now did they come? He hurriedly ran to the courtyard, and climbed the wall. The horn sounded again. Then he heard the voices of Merry and Pippin. "What's going on?" Merry asked. 

"The Dwarves are coming." E'thane said. A guard shouted at him. 

"Get down!" He shouted. E'thane just looked at him, and stood up on the wall. He squinted his elf eyes, and soon saw not just dwarves, but elves ride out of the forest. They were from Mirkwood. And E'thane recognized Elrond, his father, the twins and… LEGOLAS! His brother was alive. It wasn't long before Ainu came running out of the palace in shock. E'thane felt a surge of rebellion that he hadn't felt since before Legolas first left for the council of Elrond. He jumped down from the wall, grabbed Ainu by the shirt, and stared into his eyes. 

"You are no longer King of my family's realm!" he shouted. He grabbed the _mithril_ crown from his head, and punched him. Several guards ran to him, but he pulled out the long knife he kept hidden under his robes for just such an occasion. He fought them, and yelled to Merry and Pippin to open the doors of the courtyard. They ran to the doors, and pushed them open, mustering all the hobbit strength they had. They stepped out, and saw almost the entire population of the city of Mirkwood on the streets, cheering for the return of their king. Merry and Pippin stood aside to let them through, but were pulled up onto horses by Elladan and Elrond. 

"Come hobbits!" Elladan shouted, and the burst through the gates. By this time, all the desert elves had come out of the palace and were all standing ready for a battle. E'thane had stopped fighting the guards and ran to the group of horses. Thranduil motioned for him to climb up on his horse. Legolas looked up and faced Ainu and the desert elves. 

"You came here from the desert, looking for a home. I gave you one, and yet you repay me by leaving me in the place from whence you came! I, Rivendell, Mirkwood, and the Lonely Mountain will not stand for it. Now, I give you a choice. Die now, or leave?" Legolas shouted at them. Elrohir felt him quivering with each word. It was taking a lot of strength just to say those words. He placed a comforting hand on his back, and willed him to go on. Everyone was silent. Then Ainu came forward. 

"This realm once belong to us, but we were banished, and now we return only to take back what is ours!" Ainu shouted back. Legolas slid off the horse, much to Elrohir's dismay. He was not strong enough. But relief filled him when E'thane came to his side and placed the crown of _mithril_ on his golden hair. E'thane slipped his arm through Legolas's to help him along. 

"You no longer belong here, under the beauty of Mirkwood. You belong in the savage deserts, where your hearts truly lie!" Legolas said. With every step he felt the energy draining from him. 

~~*~~*~~

End of chapter 10. 

I think this is going along ok, don't you?

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin       


	11. Chapter 11: The Defeat

Returning Home 

Chapter 11: Leaving Mirkwood

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Don't own 'em.

~~*~~*~~

Legolas drew a long, shuddered breath. E'thane held onto him more tightly. Ainu stared at the young elf before him. As quick as a blink of the eyes, he grabbed a sword from one of the guards, and lunged himself at Legolas, knocking him to the ground. E'thane jumped back, and tried to get him off. "Since the desert did not kill you, I'll have to do it myself!" Ainu cried, and tried to thrust the sword at Legolas. But before he could, he was kicked away. He was surrounded by dwarves. He looked around in fear. They all held axes, sharp axes. 

"You'd be better off not trying that again." The leader said. 

"Get them!" Ainu shouted, and his elves moved forward. Rivendell elves and dwarves were soon in a fierce clash of sword, arrow, and axe. E'thane helped Legolas up and away from the battle. 

"Brother, are you alright?" He asked. Legolas nodded, breathing hard. E'thane looked at him, worry in his eyes. "You aren't ok. Come, we must get you to a safe place." He said. Legolas shook his head, and stood, using the wall as support. His eyes were fixed on the battle. Blood was already staining the stones of the courtyard. Few dwarves and Rivendell elves were on the ground, dead, but more of the desert elves were dead. Though he had been in the battle for Helms Deep, the battle for Gondor, and the battle at the Black Gate, seeing death this close to his home was horrible. His heart ached. 

It was a matter of minutes before the desert elves were all dead. The remaining Rivendell elves and the dwarves searched for those who were still alive. The leader of the dwarves came to Legolas. 

"Some of my kin have died here today, but be sure they did not die in vain. They died for you, so you could reclaim the kingdom that has been kind to use this past year. We hope that someday, elves and dwarves together will become friends, and we will no longer remember the dark days." He said. Legolas mustered a smile. He stood up and held a hand out to the dwarf. They shook hands. 

"There will be a place cleared between our homes, a place for the elves and the dwarves who died in this battle." Legolas said. He nodded. Elrond, the twins, Thranduil, and hobbits soon came to his side. 

"Legolas, how are you feeling?" Thranduil asked his son. Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but E'thane answered for him. 

"He needs rest. Do not listen to him for he will tell you otherwise." They laughed, and Legolas sighed. 

~~*~~*~~

True to what he said, the elves and dwarves made a place in the Mirkwood forest and buried the dead there. They had a memorial, and soon, the dwarves returned to the Lonely Mountain. Legolas had ordered that all the blood be removed from the stones of the courtyard, and that the dead desert elves were to be burned outside the forest. Mirkwood natives were more than happy to drag the dead outside the forest and burn their remains. Legolas thanked the Rivendell elves a thousand times over, and they just shook their heads and said that they knew Mirkwood would do the same. Then the elves soldiers left Mirkwood, and went on their way. Elrond and the twins were to stay a little longer. Now, mind you, this was all the same day as the battle. By sunset, and all the matters were settled regarding the battle and the elves and dwarves, Legolas was ready to return inside. When he opened the doors, elves clad in Mirkwood armor rushed out. Merry and Pippin were among them. 

"We remember them." Pippin said. Legolas smiled, and E'thane mentally slapped himself for forgetting the guards locked in the dungeon. The guards were fed and were sent home for the next month. As Legolas watched the guards leave, his vision clouded and he started to sway. Elrond noticed this and ran to his side, catching him before he fell to the ground. 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas was placed in his bed, his friends and family surrounding him. "He has dealt with much today." Elrond said, pressing a cool cloth to his face. They all nodded in agreement. 

"Father, you must tell me of what happened!" E'thane said. Thranduil looked at his youngest son. 

"I do not know the whole story, but I will tell you what I know. Legolas may tell you his side of the story. But you must tell me what happened here while Legolas was gone." He said. E'thane agreed, and all sat in Legolas's room, listening to Thranduil's account of what happened, and then to E'thane and the hobbits tell of their story. 

~~*~~*~~

Three days passed. Elrond and the twins were still in Mirkwood, and Thranduil was taking care of fixing the palace back up to the way it used to be. It was early morning on the third day when Legolas opened his eyes. He looked around, and saw his room. It looked the same as it always had. "You sleep too much, big brother." E'thane said. Legolas blinked and sat up. He saw E'thane in his doorway. Legolas smiled and E'thane ran to embrace his brother. E'thane helped Legolas to dress and to fix his hair, and then placed the crown upon his head. "Our king returns home." 

~~*~~*~~

End of Chapter 11

I'm undecided on wether or not I should go on. I mean, yeah. So that means YOU have to review so I know your thoughts. Comments welcomed and flames accepted, but probably won't stay long on the board, unless they are good reasonable flames. Now, I'd just like to point out one more time. This is AU, which means alternate universe, which means that by the power of my fingers and the keyboard, I changed whatever I wanted to make the story flow. 

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin  


	12. Chapter 12: Sariya

Returning Home 

Chapter 12: Sariya

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Yes, I have decided to continue this story. Seriously, I am like, a romance writer, and even though I will hate myself for this, its turning into a Legomance or whatever that is. haha. I'm retarded. Anyway, hopefully it does not disgust you too much. I try. 

Don't own them blah blah blah. 

IMPORTANT~~ What, in the name of the blessed Valar, is a Mary-sue? I have not yet been able to figure this out. 

~~*~~*~~

**_~One Month Later~_**

****

Elrond and the twins had left at the beginning of the month. Thranduil had decided to stay this time. Everything was going fine. Legolas was mastering the ways of a King, E'thane found solstice in writing poetry by his mother's grave, and Thranduil was happy with all the time he had now. 

One afternoon, E'thane was out riding. He was watching the last of the leaves fall from the trees. Winter was on his way. He was about to return home when the elves who guarded the gates approached him. "Prince E'thane!" They called out. He turned. 

"Yes?" 

"Could you take these elves to the palace. They come from Loríen. They wish to speak with King Legolas." One of them said. E'thane nodded and motioned for the small group of elves to follow him. He noticed that one in particular, a beautiful elf with fierce blue eyes and long wavy blond hair, seemed to be the leader. She rode up along side of E'thane. 

"Are you the little brother of King Legolas?" She asked. Her voice was like an angel's. He nodded, stunned at her beauty. She nodded. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the palace. When they reached it, the guards saw E'thane and opened the gates. They rode into the courtyard and dismounted the horses. E'thane turned to the beautiful elf. 

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but we have had trouble with other elves coming here, kidnapping Legolas, and trying to take over Mirkwood." E'thane said. The elf nodded. 

"I have heard. I have no intention of taking over Mirkwood." She said. E'thane nodded, and motioned for her to come with him. She told her people to wait out there. She followed E'thane into the palace. He turned to her. 

"What's your name?" He asked. 

"Sariya." She told him. He nodded, turned, and continued to lead her to the throne room. When they reached there, they saw Legolas talking to Merry and Pippin. 

"Legolas!" E'thane called out. Legolas turned, and saw E'thane standing with a beautiful elf-maiden. Something inside him tugged at his memory. 

"Yes?" Legolas asked, shaking the feeling away. 

"This is Sariya. She came with about 25 elves from Loríen." E'thane said. Legolas excused himself from the hobbits, and approached E'thane and Sariya. 

"How can I help you?" Legolas asked, smiling. Sariya smiled back at him, but then her face went serious. 

"We are the last of the elves of Loríen. We are the ones who have not yet felt the call of the sea. We couldn't bare to live in Rivendell, so we decided to come to the land of our woodland kin." She said. 

"But you would be protected in Rivendell. We do not have a ring of power here." Legolas said. 

"I know. But we don't need to be protected. We can protect ourselves. We have been living in Loríen for the past few months, but things weren't the same. So we made the decision to come here." She told him. 

"I see. Well, as long as you don't plan on taking over Mirkwood, you can stay here." Sariya laughed. 

"I promise I have no intention of taking over your lands, your Highness." She said, with a low bow. Legolas laughed. E'thane watched from behind Sariya. There was something in Legolas's eyes that he had not seen in a long time. Then Legolas and E'thane led her to the door of the palace. Legolas wanted to see the elves she brought with her. There was indeed 25 of them. They were waiting around nervously, wondering if they would be allowed to stay in the Realm of Mirkwood. When they heard the doors open, they all turned their heads to see their leader, Sariya, and the King of Mirkwood. He smiled at all of them. 

"Elves of Loríen! Welcome to Mirkwood. I hope you find it a pleasing home as Loríen was." He said to them. They visibly relaxed and Sariya thanked Legolas. He smiled, and told her where to stay, and she floated down the steps and joined her people. The guards let them out of the courtyard, and Legolas turned to go inside. Something was still tugging at him. 

~~*~~*~~

That night, Legolas slept, but a sudden rush of cold air caused him to wake up. He blinked his eyes to focus them, and looked at the window. The cold air was coming in through the window. He closed it, then wrapped a blanket around himself and went out onto the balcony. He looked up at the sky. It was starting to cloud over. Winter was coming. But that meant that *_Yenearsira_ was coming as well. It had always been his favorite time of year. It used to be only one day, but soon, it was changed into a season. People would start to celebrate the coming of _Yenearsira_ before it happened. So every year on the first snowfall of the season, people started getting into the _Yenearsira_ spirit. It was always so startling though, how the weather could change so suddenly. As he watched the sky, he saw the first snowflakes of the winter start to fall.

~~*~~*~~

"Legolas! Legolas! Wake up!" A voice shouted. Legolas blinked his eyes and saw E'thane standing at the window. 

"What is it?" He asked.

"Snow fell! It's the first snowfall of the season!" E'thane cried out. Legolas climbed out of bed and went to the window. They must have had a snowstorm that night, because there was already a thick layer of snow on the ground. The trees were covered in a layer of snow, and they looked beautiful. Legolas smiled, then shooed his brother out of the room so he could change. He dressed in a warm pair of brown leggings, a light blue shirt under a forest green tunic. He pulled on his boots, then absentmindedly picked up his crown and put it on his head. He didn't particularly like wearing it, but he was grateful to the dwarves for making it for him. 

He left his room and went with E'thane downstairs to eat. They would have to find something to eat themselves since no one had to work on the day of the first snowfall. They found something in the kitchen, ate, then dressed warmly to go outside. As Legolas was going to his room, he saw Thranduil. "Good morning Ada." Legolas said. 

"Good morning, Greenleaf." He said. Legolas smiled. "E'thane tells me we have a new addition to our Mirkwood family?" He asked. Legolas nodded. 

"Some Loríen elves came here yesterday. They have not heard the call of the sea yet." Legolas explained to him. "I'm heading out to see how they are faring." Thranduil smiled. He leaned in closer to his son. 

"E'thane also told me that the leader of them is very beautiful." Thranduil had a sly grin on his face. Legolas raised an eyebrow. 

"Is that supposed to mean something?" he asked. Thranduil laughed. Legolas blinked. Thranduil just shook his head and walked past. Legolas sighed and walked to his room. 

~~*~~*~~

* Winter Solstice (Think of it as saying "Merry Christmas" or something like that. I couldn't find the word for happy.)

Woop! Ok, don't kill me for writing romance. I can't help it. I mean, I have it in like, every story I've ever written. "Of Mind and Shadow" even has a little bit. If you don't know, it's the other story written by me. Anywho. review!

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin  


	13. Chapter 13: A Walk in the Snow and Lost ...

Returning Home 

Chapter 13: A Walk in the Snow and Lost Memories

By: Banana Nut Muffin

Yeah. have fun. I don't own LoTR. 

~~*~~*~~

As Legolas was pulling on his warmest cloak, the feeling he had yesterday returned to him. Something was pulling at the deepest part of his memories. "Why do I feel this?" He asked out loud. An image of Sariya flashed in his mind. Why was he seeing her in his mind. Perhaps he had caught a glimpse of her in Loríen while the Fellowship was there. He couldn't remember ever seeing her before. He pushed it out of his mind and finished dressing warm before leaving the palace. 

He left the courtyard, walking lightly on top of the snow. The elves of Mirkwood were outside, the elflings playing in the snow. Many of the elves who saw him waved and shouted, "_Yenearsira_!" He shouted it back to them. Legolas finally reached where he was headed. He saw the tall structures that were rebuilt after the desert elves were killed. The Loríen elves were walking around on the snow, talking with one another. Legolas saw Sariya bow quickly to three elves, and she jogged over to him. 

"_Yenearsira!_" she said with a smile. Legolas returned the greeting and looked at her. Her long hair was braided a few times. She wore a long dark purple dress with a silver cloak. 

"I came to see how your people are settling in." Legolas said. She smiled. 

"We love it here. We are glad we got here before the snow fell." She said. Legolas nodded. He then held out his arm to her, and she slipped her hand through it. They started walking through the snow. 

"I know this may sound strange, but, I have been having weird feelings ever since you came here yesterday." Legolas said. She looked up at him, slightly confused. "Well, like I should be remembering something about you, but when ever I try to remember what that it, I draw a blank." He explained to her. She suddenly got a knowing look on her face. 

"Actually, now that I think about it. was it sort of like something tugging at the memories at the back of your mind?" she asked. Legolas nodded. "I had the same feeling yesterday as well." She said. 

"That's weird." Legolas said. She laughed. 

Thranduil and E'thane saw Legolas walking with Sariya. E'thane laughed. "What's so funny?" Thranduil questioned. 

"Well, Legolas is walking with a girl." E'thane said. Thranduil raised an eyebrow. 

"What's wrong with that?" Thranduil asked his youngest son. 

"I think it's weird." He said. Thranduil shook his head. 

"My son, when you are walking with a girl someday, Legolas and I will laugh at you." He said. E'thane looked at him with an almost shocked look on his face. 

"That will never happen, Ada." 

~~*~~*~~

Legolas and Sariya had not noticed how fast the day went by. They had spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon walking through the woods, talking about their childhood. Legolas was often laughing at the little adventures Sariya had had while she was an elfling. She was always slipping in little jokes while she was telling her stories. The elves of Mirkwood whispered among themselves about the two. It encouraged the Mirkwood elves to go to the Loríen elves and talk to them, and welcome them to Mirkwood. After all, it was almost _Yenearsira_, a time to join together and celebrate. 

"Needless to say, my Ada was not happy after that." Sariya said, finishing her story. Legolas laughed. She got a concentrated look on her face, then she looked up at the dull sunlight through the clouds. "By Valar." She whispered. 

"What is it?" Legolas asked. 

"It's past Midday!" she said. Legolas looked up at the sunlight. 

"Well, that's odd." He said. They stopped walking, and he turned to her. "Would you do me the pleasure of joining me for a late Midday Meal?" he asked. Her eyes sparkled. 

"I'd be honored." 

~~*~~*~~

"I remember a time when Legolas was only about 40 years old. He was trying to climb a tree, but he lost his footing and fell to the ground. He spent the rest of the afternoon thinking that the Valar was punishing him for something he had done." Thranduil said. Laughter of E'thane, Sariya, and Thranduil filled the dining hall. Legolas put his forehead in his hand. Sariya looked at Legolas. 

"Thank you Ada." Legolas said sarcastically. He looked up and caught Sariya's eye. She smiled, her eyes dancing. A smile formed on Legolas's lips. E'thane and Thranduil looked at each other knowingly. 

~~*~~*~~

Over the next week, Legolas and Sariya could often be seen in each other's company. They were usually walking in the woods, arm in arm, laughing and talking. It made the elves happy to see that their King had found someone that could make him laugh. 

Finally, it was the day before _Yenearsira_. The cooks were working frantically to cook all the food they could. The hunters were hunting for food for the feast. Other elves were collecting green things to decorate homes with. There was also a great tree set up in the middle of the city of Mirkwood. Candles were placed all over it, along with figures of snowflakes, birds, animals, and other such things. When _Yenearsira_ finally came, every elf in Mirkwood would light one candle, signifying unity and the hopes that in the following year, the realm will stay united. However, there was one change this year. The dwarves of the Lonely Mountain were on their way to Mirkwood, each with a special ornament that held a smaller candle. This year, the dwarves would light a candle with the elves, and place the ornament on the tree. They hoped that this would create a bond of friendship between the Mirkwood elves and the Lonely Mountain elves. The dwarves were also bringing some of their fine dishes for the feast. 

~~*~~*~~

Sorry this one was short, but I need one chapter dedicated to _Yenearsira_. Hehe. Yes. I know you hate me right now, but I CAN'T HELP IT! Ok, so mayhaps I'm over exaggerating the you hating me for making this a romance thing, but that's ok. ^.^ Hehe. Review!!!

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin 


	14. Chapter 14: Yenearsire

Returning Home 

Chapter 14: _Yenearsira_

By: Banana Nut Muffin 

Don't own them. Still.

I just thought of something. I just realized that Legolas is in no way acting like a king... oh well. * big huge AOL smiley face *

Deana ~~ Indeed it did say complete. Hehe. But I was trying to write a new story and it wasn't working out too well, but I could think of a way to continue this one. so I did! ^.^

~~*~~*~~

Legolas woke up on his own the next morning. He dressed quickly in warm clothing and put on his cloak. Once again, he absentmindedly put his crown on. Then he headed down to the dining hall. E'thane and Thranduil were already sitting there, eating. "Thanks for waiting." Legolas said with a grin. Both shrugged and continued eating. Legolas shook his head as he watched his father and his brother eat like they were elflings again. The cooks must have out done themselves again this year. He sat down and started eating, thinking about the events that would go on today, but his mind kept shifting to Sariya. She seemed like the perfect one for Legolas. She was always making him laugh, and she was smart. He loved her voice, and her laugh, and though he did not know it yet, he loved her. It had only taken her a week to win his heart. 

E'thane and Thranduil noticed the strange look on Legolas's face. They said nothing, but when E'thane had gone, Thranduil snapped him out of his trance. "My son." He said. Legolas blinked and looked at him. 

"Yes Ada?" he asked. 

"Is there something on your mind, or rather, is there some_one_ on your mind?" He asked with a grin. 

"Well, uh." Legolas started. 

"You are in love! Your uncle acted the same way when he met the elf of his dreams, and he told me I was like that when I met your mother." He said. Legolas blushed. "It's ok Legolas. I'm happy for you. I know E'thane is too." He smiled. Legolas stood and walked to his father. Thranduil stood as well. Then Legolas threw his arms around his Ada.

"I've never been so happy." Legolas said, his face buried in his father's robes. Thranduil smiled and hugged him. Legolas pulled away when he heard the door open. It was a guard. 

"Your Highness, the dwarves have arrived." He said, bowing. Legolas hurried outside, with Thranduil at his heels. The King of the Dwarves stepped forward when Legolas came outside. 

"Welcome King Quvar! Welcome dwarves of The Lonely Mountain!" Legolas shouted. King Quvar came forward. His brown beard was braided, and his robes were a bright color of blue. 

"King Legolas! We thank you for welcoming us into Mirkwood. We are here to help prepare for tonight! Just tell us what to do!" He said. Legolas smiled and went down the steps of the palace. He put a hand to Quvar's shoulder and led him over to a group of elves. 

"They are in charge of setting up. They can tell you what you need to know." Legolas said. The elves smiled and the dwarves gathered around, awaiting orders. Legolas walked away, smiling. Everything was perfect. The elves and dwarves were finally working along side each other, like it should be, and should have always been. 

~~*~~*~~

All morning, Legolas was making decisions about where things went, what music should be played, where the food was to be, and other things along those lines. He helped to decorate buildings and to hang banners. By Midday, he was getting a little hungry. After he climbed down from a ladder, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Sariya standing behind him. She was holding a mug of dark, steaming liquid. She handed it to him. 

"I thought you could use a little break." She said with a smile. Legolas thanked her, and he once again held his arm out to her. She slipped her arm through his, and they started walking. 

"How have you been today?" Legolas asked her. 

"Good, good. And you?" she asked. 

"Very well." He replied. 

"I'm very excited for tonight." She said. Legolas nodded. 

"This is always my favorite day of the year." He said. She nodded in agreement. 

"I think its really amazing that you were able to bring the elves and the dwarves together like that." She told him. 

"I couldn't let us continue living with hatred towards them. It's not right." Legolas said. She made to reply, but they kept walking. Soon, they found themselves away from the city. They hadn't really noticed where they were going. Finally, Legolas stopped walking. He turned to face Sariya. He took her hands in his.

"*_Lle naa vanima._" He said quietly. She lowered her head to hide a blush, her hair falling over her face. Legolas smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. He put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face to him. "I have not known you for very long, but you have stolen my heart. I think about you all the time. Sariya. *_Amin mela lle._" Sariya's blue eyes started to fill with tears. Legolas lifted one hand and put it on her cheek. 

"Legolas." She said quietly. She lifted her eyes to him as a tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb. 

"Do not cry, Sariya." He said to her. She smiled. Slowly, Legolas slid one arm around her waist, and the other one on her neck. She reached up to his face and pulled him closer to her. Soon, their lips met. Sariya moved her arms around his neck, and they held each other like that. After a minute, they pulled apart, looking into each other's blue eyes. 

"*_Amin mela lle vithel._" Sariya said, burying her face in his shoulder. Legolas stroked her hair softly. Then he leaned his head down to her ear and whispered, 

"So now that you have claimed my heart, do you plan on claiming my kingdom?" There was humor in his voice. She looked up at him, tears gone, laughing. She kissed him playfully on the nose. She took her arms from his neck and picked up a handful of snow. 

"Yes, your highness. I will now call forth my secret elves that are hidden in these very trees to aid me in taking over the throne!" she said in a very dramatic voice. "Our weapons. will be. snowballs!" she said that last word laughing, and she threw the snowball, hitting him in the forehead. He wiped the snow from himself quickly and ran after her, trying to hit her with a snowball. 

~~*~~*~~

Night soon fell, and the elves and dwarves gathered around the great tree in the middle of the city. Everyone held a candle. Mirkwood elves held green ones, Loríen elves held gold ones, and the dwarves had silver. Legolas stood before everyone, and his candle was lit. "Elves and Dwarves. Tonight we will light our candles and place them on the tree in hopes that our two races will join together like we were before. Also, we welcome Loríen elves into our home and hope they will be happy here." Legolas said. Everyone cheered, and the ritual began. Legolas held the flame of his candle close to Sariya's, who was beside him, and she passed hers down. Legolas did the same thing to E'thane's candle, who was on Legolas's other side. After a few minutes, there were thousands of little lights all over. Before putting his candle in the tree, he called forth King Quvar, and told him to put his candle in first. After Quvar did, the dwarves followed and put their candles in the tree. Then Legolas told the Loríen elves to put theirs in. Then, the Mirkwood elves were last. As the last few candles were put on the tree, snow began to fall. Everyone was silent, remembering those who had passed in the last year. When they were finished, Legolas shouted, "Let the celebration begin!" Music started playing, and the elves and dwarves spread out to eat, dance and to just have fun. Sariya moved closer to Legolas and she leaned her head against his arm. Legolas smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her. 

~~*~~*~~  
  


End of Chapter 14. Cute eh? Hope the kiss scene wasn't too. stupid. Let me know! Review!

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin

~~*~~*~~

* "_Lle naa vanima._" ~~ You are beautiful.

*"_Amin mela lle."_ ~~ I love you. 

*"_Amin mela lle vithel._" ~~ I love you also.


	15. Chapter 15: Alone

Returning Home 

Chapter 15: Alone

By: Banana Nut Muffin

I don't own them or anything. still. 

This will be the last chapter of this story. I promise. But make sure you look for "Yenearsira II". It's going to be the short little sequal for this story. since the entire plot line is different than when it started. but it will still have an element of this story in it.

Kerla~ Thanks for explaining a Mary-Sue. I haven't been here that long and I just haven't figured out what it meant. But thank you! And I'm glad you like this story. Sariya isn't a Mary-Sue, is she?

Deana~ Once again, thanks for reviewing! You are awesome!!

~~*~~*~~

The next day, Legolas woke up to the sun beaming it's rays through his window. He smiled. The previous night had been the most fun he had ever had. As he lay in bed, recalling the things that had happened, his door opened. A blond haired elf maiden slipped into the room. She was wearing a long sleeve sleeping gown. Legolas smiled at her as she came in the room. She sat down on the side of his bed and kissed his forehead. "Good morning Legolas." She said. 

"Good morning Sariya." He replied. He wrapped his arms around her gently. 

"I must go speak with the elves from Loríen today, so I have to leave for a little while." She told him. Legolas nodded. 

"Alright." 

~~*~~*~~

After breakfast, Sariya left to go to her elves. Legolas couldn't think of any pressing matters, so he decided to take a walk in the gardens. As he walked, he felt drawn to his mother's grave. When he arrived there, he placed his hand on the coolness of the stone. Almost immediately, his eyes went dark, and his body fell to the ground. 

~~*~~*~~

_Legolas was only 30 years old, about 5 in human years. It was spring time. His Ada and Naneth were standing by, along with two elves he did not recognize. He turned and saw a little elf looking at him. Her hair was long and blond, and she had bright blue eyes. She wore a simple white dress. "Come on Legolas!" She cried. Legolas smiled and ran after her. _

_Legolas's Naneth turned to the two unfamiliar elves. "Are you really sure you want to leave here?" She asked. The elves nodded. _

_"We love Mirkwood, but Aeriss was summond by Celeborn to come to him, and we must answer." The female said. The queen sighed. _

_"Promise you will bring Sariya back here sometimes to see Legolas." She said. The other elf nodded. _

_"We will." She promised. Then she called out, "Come along Sariya!" _

_Sariya stopped running and looked to Legolas. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow!" She said. Legolas nodded, and hugged her. While he did so, she whispered, "Make sure you don't like another elf too much, because I would be sad if I couldn't marry you. After all, you promised."_

_"I won't." Legolas promised. She smiled and ran after her parents. _

_"Alright, lets go." Aeriss said. They turned and mounted some waiting horses. _

_"Naneth, were are we going?" Sariya asked. _

_"Loríen, sweetie." She said. _

_"Oh, for how long?" Sariya asked. _

_"Forever." _

_"What? No! Legolas!" she called out. Legolas tried to run after them, but Thranduil picked him up and held him in his arms. _

_"I'm sorry, Little Greenleaf." He said as they watched them leave. _

~~*~~*~~

Meanwhile, Sariya had talked to her elves and was on her way home when she saw a flower poking up through the snow. She bent down to pick it, but as soon as she touched the flower, she felt tired and her eyes closed, and she fell to the ground. 

~~*~~*~~

"Legolas, I hope we never are apart." 30-year-old Sariya said. Legolas nodded. 

_"I agree. Hey! I know how we can stay together forever!" Legolas said excitedly. _

_"How?" _

_"We can get married." Legolas suggested. _

_"Ok! When we get older, we will get married, and we can stay together forever, just like our Naneths and Adas." Sariya said. Legolas nodded and they hugged each other. _

_"We can rule over Mirkwood together." Legolas added. She smiled. _

_"That would be fun!" Legolas nodded, and then they hopped up from their bench and started to chase each other through the trees. _

~~*~~*~~

Legolas woke up. He was covered in snow and lying beside the statue of his mother. What happened? He had just touched the statue and he feel asleep. He stood and brushed the snow off of himself. Then he remembered what his dream had been about. He now knew why he felt like he know Sariya. They had been friends a long time ago, back when they were elflings. They had promised that they would be together forever, but her parents forced her to move to Loríen with them. Legolas started running. He had to find her. 

At the same time, Sariya had woken up as well. She remembered her dream. It was the day that they had decided that they would marry each other so that they could be together forever. She had to find Legolas. They both were running, looking for each other. They met up in the courtyard of the palace. They ran to each other and held each other in their arms. 

"I know why I felt like I knew you." Legolas said. She nodded. 

"Me too! We were friends when we were little!" Sariya said. Legolas nodded and they held each other tighter. 

"Sariya." Legolas said. She looked up at him. "Will you marry me, like you promised before?" Tears formed in her eyes. 

"Yes, little Greenleaf." She answered, and they pulled each other into a kiss.

~~*~~*~~

End of Chapter 15

If you are looking for a wedding, there will be one in "Men? Who Needs 'Em?". Yeah. I changed the name cause I didn't like the other one, and I couldn't decide if I wanted it in this one, but I decided against it. 

The new name. well, it's going to be more light hearted. 

So, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading! You rock! Review!! Hehe.

Peace Out~

Banana Nut Muffin


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